/C  -^/ 


»       #»•  J.' 

JL-S-'.  ^ 

1      * 

1                   LIBRARY 

OF   THE 

Theological    Seminar 

y, 

PRINCETON,    N.  J. 

BR    143     .P7    1803    v. 5 

Priestley,    Joseph,     1733- 
1804. 

..4 

A   general    history   of    the 
Christ  ian   church 

!C 


•  ■■^diis^'M 


If' 


i> 


THE 

HISTORY 

OF     THE 

CHRISTIAN     CHURCH. 


PERIOD    XXI. 


From  the  Conclusion   of   the  Council 

OF  Constance  in  a.  d.  1418,  to  the 

Reformation,  a.  d.  1517. 


SECTION    i. 


Of  the  Power  of  the  Popes  in  this  Period,  and  the 
Oppofition  that  -was  made  to  it, 

X   HE  hiftory  of  the  popes  in  this  pe- 
riod has  not  in  it  much  that  is  properly  of  an  cc- 
clefiaftical  nature.        They   were   now    fovereign 
princes,  and  had  no  other  views  in  all  their  tranf- 
Vo  L.  V.  A  adlions 


2  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

aftions  than  the  augmentation  and  prefervation  of 
their  temporal  power.  With  this  view,  like  other 
princes,  they  made  treaties  or  broke  them,  and 
they  made  war  or  peace  as  befl;  fuited  their  pur- 
pofes.  Notwithftanding  the  checks  they  met  with, 
they  ftill  afferted  their  authority  in  general,  fpi- 
ritual  as  well  as  temporal,  in  as  high  a  tone  as  ever; 
and  fuch  was  the  general  prepoffeffion  in  their  fa- 
vour, from  maxims  and  habits  of  long  (landing, 
that  tho'  their  power  as  princes  was  but  fmall,  it 
was  the  great  objeft  of  the  policy  of  all  the  courts 
of  Europe  to  gain  their  favour,  and  the  moft 
powerful  were  often  obliged  to  give  way  to  them. 

The  merely  civil  tranfa6lions  of  the  popes  ia 
this  period,  fuch  as  relate  to  war  and  peace,  I 
Ihall  as  much  as  pofiible  omit,  only  noting  fuch 
particulars  in  their  pretenfions  and  conduft  as  are 
of  *  more  remarkable  nature,  Ihewing  the  charafter 
of  the  men,  and  of  the  times,  that  the  neceflity  of 
the  reformation  in  the  next  period  of  the  hiftory 
may  be  more  evident. 

Tho'  the  fuperiority  of  general  councils  to  the 
pope  was  afferted  in  the  decrees  of  the  council  of 
Conftancc,  confirmed  by  Martin  V,  and  thofe 
of  the  council  of  Bafil,  which  was  a  fequel  to  it, 
the  maxim  was  never  acknowledged  by  any  pope 
afterwards  ;  not  even  by  thofe  who  before  they 
arrived  at  that  dignity  had  moll  flrenuoufly  main- 
tained 


Sec.  I.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  8 

tained  that  do6lnne.  In  a.  d.  1460  Pius  It, 
who  while  he  was  only  cardinal,  and  bore  thrt 
name  of  ^Eneas  Sylvius,  had  been  the  greatefl  ad- 
vocate for  the  fuperiority  of  the  councils,  publifh- 
ed  a  bull,  in  which  he  condemned  all  appeals 
from  the  popes  to  councils,  which  were  then  very 
common,  as  "erroneous,  deteflable,  null,  con- 
**  tiary  to  the  holy  canons,  hurtful  to  Chriflianity^ 
*'  and  even  ridiculous."  And  in  a.  d.  1464  he 
publifhed  a  folemn  rctra£lation  of  what  he  had 
written  in  favour  of  the  fuperiority  of  the  council 
of  Bafil,  as  the  produ6lion  of  his  youth  ;  faying 
that  he  had  erred,  as  Paul  had  done,  and  perfe- 
cuted  the  church  of  God,  thro'  ignorance. 

NothinjT  that  the  popes  did  whi^e  they  were 
only  cardinals  could  bind  them.  Before  the  ele6lioii 
of  Paul  II,  in  a.  d.  1464,  all  the  cardinals  fwore 
to  a  number  ot  regulations,  and  even  this 
pope  himfelf  confirtned  them  immediately  after 
his  eleClion,  but  he  prefently  after  paid  no  regard 
to  them. 

The  popes  claimed  the  fole  right  of  prohibit- 
ing books,  and  aflferted  that  Chriflian  princes  ought 
to  publifli  their  decrees  on  this  fubjeft  as  from  the 
authority  of  the  apoftolic  fee,  as  of  fufEcient  force, 
without  any  fanflion  of  theirs.  According  to  the 
antient  difcipline  of  the   churcli,    the   cenfure    of 

A  2  books 


4  THE  KISrORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

books  be'onged  to  the  councils.    Giannonc^  Vol.  2,* 
P-  392. 

Appeals  to  the  court  of  Rome  were  a  great 
fourcc  of  the  wealth  and  power  of  the  popes,  and 
many  attempts  were  made  by  the  more  fpirited 
princes  to  prevent  them,  or  at  leaft  reftrift  them 
within  certain  bounds,  while  the  popes  were  as 
watchtul  to  retain  and  encourage  them.  In  a.  d. 
1491  Innocent  VIII  publilhed  a  bull  excommu- 
nicating thofe  who  obftruded  appeals  to  the  court 
cf  Rome,  in  order  to  transfer  the  caufes  which 
had  been  ufualiy  heard  there  to  the  fecular  courts. 

After  the  extinction  of  the  great  fchifm,  the 
popes  were  chiefly  intent  upon  the  aggrandifement 
of  their  families,  and  they  engaged  in  confedera- 
cies, and  wars,  chiefly  with  that  view.  Immenfe 
films  were  raifed  by  them  from  church  livings. 
For  on  the  death  of  any  incumbent,  before  a  fuc- 
ceflbr  was  named,  whatever  he  left  was  adjudged 
to  the  apoflolic  chamber.  Colledors  were  fent 
every  where,  who  by  fevere  extorfions  feized  even 
the  ornaments  of  the  churches,  and  put  the  heirs  to 
great  trouble  with  refpeft  to  the  proper  patrimony 
of  the  deceafed.  In  cafe  of  any  doubt,  every 
thing  was  decid^^d  in  favour  of  the  chamber,  and 
thofe  who  oppofed  the  execution  were  harraffed 
with  exconimunications  and  cenfures.  Thefe 
abufes  were  tolerated  in  the  kingdom  of  Sicily,  and 

tho' 


*% 


Sec.  I.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  3 

tho'  they  u-ere  check.:d  by  AlphonTus  I  in  a-  d, 
1431,  they  came  in  agiit:  in  a  great  mcialure  with 
Ferdinand  the  CathL;hc.  Tiiey  were,  honwer, 
oppoCed  in  other  countries,  and  in  Spain  rellritted 
to  the  Cc\['q  ofbifliopj.  In  FraiiCe  and  Gu-rniahy 
they  wejQ  aptjuffered  at  all.  Giaifinone,  Vol,  2. 
p.  489.         ':::^\ 

The  power  of  difpcn Ting  with  oaths,  anr]  even 
annulling  the  mOit  fuieiija  treaUc^,  wita  iicrciics 
or  infidels,  w^s  npt  r«;Hr»quifhed  by  the  popts  of 
this  more  enlightened  period.  But  a  rnemonbio 
inftance  occurs  in  it  of  the  folly,  as  well  as  .vicked- 
nefs,  of  that  .pretci[irion.  Tho'  in  a.  d.  1444  the 
-Chriflians  had  made  peace  with  AmUrath  the  Tuik- 
i{h  emperor,  and  Ladiflas  king  of  PoJand  and  Hun- 
gr.ry  had  fworri  to  it  on  the  Go! pels,  as  Amurath 
did  upon  the  Koran  ;  yet  .in  opportunity  occur- 
ring, of  Vi^hich  the  Chriflians  thought  they  could 
take  advantage,  pope  Eugenius  authorized  cardi- 
nal Julian  to  abfolve  him  from  his  oath,  and  ex- 
horted him  to  ren:ew  the  war.  But  Amurath  re- 
turning from  Afia  in  greater  force  than  they  ex- 
pelled, and  in  the  courfe  of  the  battle  which  fol- 
lotved  holding  up  the  treaty  to  which  the  Chriftians 
had  fworn,  cried,  aloud,  "  This,  O  Jefus,  is  the 
"  treaty  which  the  Chriftians,  fwearing  by  thy 
*'  name,  made  with  me.  If  thou  be  a  God,  rc- 
"  venge  thy  injuries  and  mine,"       Then,    gaining 

A3  a  com- 


6  THE  IIIStORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

a  complete  vidory,  both  Ladiflas  and  the  cardinal 
were  flain. 

There  was  no  want  of  good  fen fe,  or  fpirit,'  in 
feveral  of  the  temporal  princes  of  this  period,  to  fet 
the  pretenfions  of  the  popes  at  defiance  ;  but  the 
fuperftition  of  the  common  people,  and  the  fitua- 
tion  of  their  affairs,  made  it  neceffary  for  them  to 
give  way.  In  a.  d.  1488  Innocent  VIII  excom- 
municated Ferdinand  king  of  Naples  for  refufing 
to  pay  the  ftipulated  tribute,  depriving  him  of  that 
kingdom,  publifliing  a  crufade  againft  him,  and 
inviting  king  Charles  of  France  to  join  Nicolas  de 
Urlino,  whom  he  had  appointed  commander  of 
the  forces  againfl  him.  Ferdinand,  however,  per- 
•fifted  in  his  difregard  of  thcfe  proceedings,  and 
he  appealed  to  a  future  council.  But  at  length  his 
fear  of  Charles  brought  him  to  fubmit  to  the  terms 
required  of  him. 

The  oppofition  made  by  the  Venetians  to  Ju- 
lius 1 1  promifed  fomething  more,   but  ended  in  a 
iimilar  manner.   In  a.  d.  1509  this  pope  publiflicd 
a  moft  violent  bull  againft  them  for  their  ufurpa- 
tion  of  ecclefiaftical  jurifdiclion,   threatening  then 
with  every  thing  that  had  ever  been  denounced  b^ 
former  popes;  and  for  a  long  time  they  paid  no  re- 
gard  to  it,  but  appealed  to  a  future  council.      Al 
the  efFcQ  it  had  at  firft  was  that  a  few  monks,   par 
ticularly  attached  to  the  court  of  Rome,    left  thv. 

city. 


Sec.  I.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  r 

city ;  while  all  the  other  clergy,  fecular  and  regular, 
continued  todifcharge  their  fun6lions  as  before.  The 
pope  then  publiihed  another  bull,  annulling  their 
appeal,  and  laying  all  their  eftates  under  an  inter- 
ditl.  This,  however,  they  would  have  difregard- 
ed;  but  being  diftrefTed  in  the  war  againfl:  them, 
in  which  the  pope  joined  his  forces,  they  wifhedto 
make  peace  with  him.  His  demands,  however, 
being  thought  too  exorbitant,  the  people  fpared  no 
inve6lives  againll  hirn. 

At  length  it  was  thought  neccflary,  on  account 
o\  the  fituation  of  their  public  affairs,  that  the  doge 
fhould  write  to  the  pope  in  the  mofl  fubmiffive 
terms,  leaving  the  fatisfaclion  they  were  to  make 
to  himfelt;  and  the  year  following  he  granted  them 
abfolution,  but  on  the  following  humiliating  terms. 
Six  amball^idors  from  the  republic  proftrated  them- 
felves  at  the  pope's  feet,  and  vifited  the  feveti 
churches  in  Rome.  They  were  obliged  to  defift 
from*  their  appeal  to  a  council,  to  confer  only  lay 
benefices,  to  admit  of  appeals  to  Rome,  to  allow 
the  pope  to  ]Qvy  any  taxes  upon  their  clergy,  and 
alfo  to  grant  him  many  advantages  of  a  civil  na- 
ture ;  and  thus  he  was  fully  fatisfied.  Thus,  favs 
the  hiftorian,  this  republic  \vhich  had  paid  lefs  re- 
gard to  the  thunders  of  the  Vatican  than  any  other 
Hate,  fubmitted  to  the  molt  imperious  conditions, 
A  4  fuel 


t  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXL 

fiich  as  only  the  moft  haughty  and  fuccefsful  fo- 
vereign  would  have  impofed. 

In  order  to  fupport  the  expences  which  fuch  a 
fyftem  of  power  required,  the  popes  had  recourfe 
to  various  methods,  which  rendered  them  exceed- 
ingly unpopular;  but  yet  not  fomuch  fo  as  to  oc- 
cafion  any  open  or  confirmed  revolt.  The  wars 
which  Sixtus  IV  promoted  againft  the  Turks,  his 
^jrefents,  and  public  buildings,  arid  his  furniftling 
the  Vatican  libiary,  which  he  provided  with  Greek, 
Latin,  and  Hebrew  librarians,  induced  him  not 
only  to  create  new  oIEces  in  his  court,  but  to  dii- 
|)bfe  of  them  for  large  fums,  which  was  much  com- 
plained of,  as  it  took  from  able  and  worthy  men 
the  means  of  advancing  themfelves. 

In  A.  D.  1457  the  Germans  made  loud  com- 
plaints of  the  pope's  violation  of  the  agreement  that 
had  been  made  with  their  emperors,  in  taking  from 
the  country  more  than  he  ought  to  have  done,  but 
he  exculpated  himfelf  on  account  of  the  expences 
he  had  been  at  in  repulfing  the  Tuiks^  when  the 
Chriflian  powers  in  general  had  been  inattentive 
to  their  progrefs,  and  fulFered  them  to  take  Con- 
flantinople.  On  this  occafion  yEneas  Sylvius 
wrote  in  defence  of  the  pope,  and  was  anfwered  by 
James  de  Wimphile  and  others. 

The  right  of  the  popes  to  grant  countries  to 
thofe  who  would  difcover,  conquer,  and  chriftian- 

ize 


Sec.  I.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CIIUUCII.  9 

ize  them,  as  alfo  to  grant  titles,  8zc.  feerns  to  have 
been  uiidifputcd  iii  this  period.  la  a.  d.  1420 
Martin  V  granted  io  the  Portuguefe  all  the  coun- 
tries they  Ihoald  difcover  from  the  proinontary  of 
Genara  to  the  Eail  Indies;  andin  a.  d.  1492  Alex- 
ander VI  granted  to  Ferdinand,  king  of  Arragon, 
the  inveftiture  of  ail  the  countries  his  fubjeds 
fhould  difcover  to  the  Wed.  But  on  the  difcovery 
of  America  by  Columbus,  the  Portuguefe  objefl- 
ed  ro  this  grant,  as  inconfiflent  with  that  which 
had  been  made  to  them  by  Eugenius  IV,  ol  all 
the  land  they  (hould  difcover  to  the  Eail.  How- 
ever, alter  many  afiemblies  held  at  Rome  on  the 
fubjeft,  the  Portuguefe  v\rere  obliged  to  acquiefce 
in  the  pretenfiohs  of  the  Spaniards.  In  a.  d.  1494 
the  fame  pope  granted  to  Ferdinand  and  Ifabella 
the  right  cf  conquering  Africa,  on  condition  of 
their  eftablifhing  the  Chriilian  religion  in  it;  but, 
not  to  interfere  with  the  claims  of  the  Portuguefe, 
he  reflricled  their  permiilion  to  the  kingdoms  of 
Algiers  and  Tunis;  that  oi  Fez  and  the  neighbour- 
ing countries  being  within  the  grant  to  the  Portu- 
guefe. In  A.  D.  1496  this  pope  to  the  great  dii'^ 
fatisfa6lion  of  the  Portuguefe,  gave  the  title  of  Cti- 
tkolic  to  the  kings  of  Spain.  He  had  intended  to 
take  the  title  of  7noJl  Chriflian  from  the  kings  of 
France ;  but  fome  of  the  cardinals  remonflrated 
againfl.  it. 

A  5  The 


IQ  THE  HIS  TORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

The  ChriRian  world  is  indebted  to  the  univer- 
fity  of  Paris  for  much  of  the  jafl  oppofition   that 
was   made  to    the  unieafonable  pretenfions  of  the 
popes  and  their  advocates  before  tlie   reformation. 
In  A.  D.    1430    John  Sarrazin  a   Dominican  was 
cenfured  by    it  for    miintaining   that    "all  ccclc 
*'  (iaftical  jurifdiQion,    except  that  ,of  the   pope 
'*  was  derived  from  him,    that    thefe   jurifdiftions 
"  are  not  immediately  of  divine  right,    that  ail  the 
"  decrees  of  councils  derive   their  force   from   the 
*•  pope,  that  other  fpiritual  powers  can  do  nothing 
"  aoainft  him,  and  that  he  cannot  be  guilty  of   (i- 
>'  mony."    In  confeqnence  of  this  cenfure,   the  au- 
thor  was  obli,'^'?d  to  retraft  his   propohtions.      In 
A.  D.  1470  the  faculty  of  theology   at   Paris   con- 
demned a  propofition  of  John  Meunier,    another 
Dominican,  that  the  apoUles  did  not  receive  their 
antbority  from  Chr;!l  himfcif;   but  from  St.  Peter. 
In  A.  D.  1497  Charles  VIII  propof-d  to   this  fa- 
culty whether  the  pope  was  not  bound  by  the  de- 
crees of  the  council  of  Con  fiance  to  affemble  a  gene- 
ral council  every  ten  years,   and   whether,   on   his 
refufal,  the  fecular  princes  might  not  call  one  with- 
out him.    Thev  anAvered  in  the  affirmative,    and 
added,    that  the  then  prefent   time  was   peculiarly 
proper  for  it,  there  were   fo   many  notorious  dif- 
orders  in  the  church,    both  in  the  head   and  the 

members. 


Sec.  I.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  11 

members.     The  death  of  this  prince  prevented  his 
prcxreeding  any  farther  in  the  bulinef^. 

But  the  mod  efFe£tual  oppofition  to  the  papal 
ufurpations  was  made  not  by  arguments,  but 
anions.  Of  thefe,  and  feme  very  perfevering  and 
fuccefiful  ones,  there  are  Teveral  inftances  in  the 
courfe  of  this  period. 

Commendams  had  not  been  much  u fed  in  Ger- 
many, tho'  they  were  at  this  time  frequent  in  other 
parts  of  Europe.     Sigifmund  duke  of  Auftria  had, 
on  this  fubjeft,  a  difference  with   the  cardinal  o 
Cufa,   who  held  the  bifliopric   of  Brixen  by  com 
mendam  from  the  pope,     without  refiding.       The 
cafe  had  been  propofed  at  the  council  of  Mantu.. 
but  was  not  decided  ;  and  the  parties  coming  to  ai 
open  rupture,  the  cardinal  was  taken  prifo-ier,  an:', 
was  not  releafed    till   he  had    paid    a  confiderablc 
fum  for.his  ranfom,     ar.d  had  likewife  enQ[ac[ed  for 
the  abfoiation  of  Sigifmund,    wlio  had    been  ex- 
communicated by  pope  Caiixtus. 

The  agreement  being  broken,  and  hoflilities 
refumed,  the  cardinal  was  again  niade  prifoner, 
when  he  purchafedhis  releafeby  the  farrender  or  .i 
caftle,  and  paying  another  large  fum.  On  this 
Pius  II  excommunicated  the  duke.  But  not  ter- 
rified with  this,  he  appealed  to  a  future  council, 
the  a6l  of  appeal  being  drawn  up  by  Gregory  of 
Heimburg,  a  do6lor  of  law.      The  pope  then  ad- 

dreffed 


13  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

drefled  a  letter  to  the  people  of  Germany,  in  which 
he  ordered  Heimburg  to  be  avoided,  as  a  heretic, 
and  guilty  of  high  treafon,  for  appealing  to  a  coun- 
cilafter  his  exprefs  prohibition  of  it.  Healfo  order- 
ed all  his  goods  to  be  confifcated.  But  Heimburg 
appealed  againft  this  bull,  and  this  led  to  a  contro- 
verfy,  in  which  Heimburg  inveighed  againft  the 
pope  with  more  violence  than  had  ever  been  done 
in  that  age. 

This  pope  had  appointed  a  nephew  of  cardinal 
Sbigneq  to  the  archbifhopric  of  Cracow,  tho'  Ca- 
iimer  king  of  Poland  had  named  another  perfon  ; 
and  notwithftandingthe  remonftra aces,  menaces, 
and  even  excommunications,  pronounced  againft 
Cafimer  and  his  adherents,  the  cardinal's  nephew 
was  obliged  to  relign ;  the  king  having  declared 
that  he  would  fooner  lofe  his  crown  than  fuffera 
bifhop  in  his  dominions  againft  his  confent,  which, 
fays  the  hiftorian,  was  no  fmall  mortification  to 
the  holy  father. 

In  A.  D.  1461  Pius  II  excommunicated  the 
archbiniop  of  Mayence  for  not  appearing  before 
him,  and  paying  the  annafes  of  his  church,  accord- 
ing to  his  promife.  On  this  the  -  archbifhop  ap- 
pealed to  a  future  council,  and  was  fupported  by 
the  princes  of  Germany,  v/ho  complained  of  the 
exorbitant  fums  demanded  for  the  confirmation  of 
his  elc£lion,  the  tenths  of  his  benefice,    and  other 

griev- 


Sec.  I.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  is 

gfievances  by  which  the  Germans  in  general  wtre 
afFc6led,  in  order  to  raife  money,  on  theptetence 
of  the  Turkilh  war,  but  which  was  einpIo)'ed  for 
other  purpofes.  Nothing,  however,  bcin^  done 
in  confequence  of  the  princes  declaring  for  him,  he 
made  his  peace  with  the  pope ;  but  giving  fre(h 
offence  by  continuing  to  oflBciate  as  bifliop  before 
his  excommunication  was  taken  ofF,  another  arch- 
bifhop  was  appointed  by  the  pope,  and  the  two 
prelates  were  at  open  war,  till  they  made  peace  by 
a  divifion  of  the  revenues,  the  latter  retaining  the 
title  and  the  office. 

The  German  princes  on  many  occafions  fhewed 
a  fpirit  of  refill  an  ce  to  the  papal  claims.  When 
Sixtus  IV  fent  to  collet  the  tenths  of  the  benefices 
in  Germany,  for  the  war  againfl  the  Turks,  which 
more  immediately  affe6led  the  empire,  and  they  were 
threatened  with  an  excommunication,  they  abfo- 
lutely  refufed  to  pay  them. 

The  people  of  Florence,  more  enlightened  than 
any  other  in  this  age,  had  frequent  contefls  with 
the  popes,  and  forne  of  them  continued  a  lon^^ 
time.  In  a.  d.  1478  Sixtus  IV  excommunicated 
Lorenzo  of  Medicis,  and  laid  the  city  of  Florence 
under  an  interdift,  for  hanging  the  archbifhop  of 
Pifa,  who  had  been  engaged  in  a  confpiracy  againft 
the  Medici,  in  which  Julian  the  brother  of  Lo- 
renzo was  murdered  in  a  church,    and   Lorenzo 

him- 


U  TIIE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

Jilmfelf  very  narrowly  efcaped.  But  tho'  the  pope 
gave  them  to  underftand  that  he  would  remove  the 
intcrdi6l  if  they  would  banifii  Lorenzo,  they  per- 
fifted  in  their  negleft  of  it,  throwing  the  blame  of 
the  whole  tranfaftion  on  the  pope,  as  the  original 
author  ot  the  confpiracy.  They  even  affembled 
the  biHiops  of  Tufcany,  in  order  to  appeal  to  a 
future  council,  and  obliged  the  priefts  to  celebrate 
mafs  notwithftanding  the  interdift.  They  were 
Iccretly  affifled  by  the  Venetians,  but  afterwards 
they  made  their  peace  with  the  pope. 

In  the  time  of  this  pope  the  fpirit  of  refiftance 
appeared  in  Scotland.  For  having  made  Patric 
Graham,  the  archbifhop  of  St.  Andrews,  his  legate 
in  that  country,  the  lords  would  not  fuflPer  him  to 
exercife  his  lun£lions ;  it  being,  they  faid,  a  vio- 
lation of  the  antient  rights  oi  the  kingdom. 

The  Citizens  of  Rome  were  never  well  afFefled 
to  the  civil  government  of  the  popes.  They  had 
alfo  frequent  contefts  for  the  pofi'elfion  of  Bologna. 
In  A.  D.  1420  Martin  V  recovered  the  polTeflion 
of  this  city,  after  it  had  long  been  independent  of 
the  fee  of  Rome.  In  that  year  he  left  Florence, 
where  he  had  refided  fome  time,  and  went  to  Rome, 
which  he  found  in  a  very  ruinous  condition,  but 
it  was  foon  rcftored  to  its  former  fplendour.  No- 
thing but  the  advantages  the  people  were  fenfible 
they  derived  from  the  rcfidcnce  of  the  popes  kept 

them 


Sec.  I.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  is 

them  in  obedience.  In  a.  d.  1434  the  inhabitants 
of  Rome  revolting  from  pope  En  genius,  he  dif- 
guifed  himlelf  in  the  habit  of  a  monk,  and  fled  to 
Florence.  But  after  fit  months  they  made  their 
peace  v/it!>  Mm,  and  received  the  magillratcs  of  his 
appointment. 

R.ome  appears  to  have  been  very  ill  governed 
in  this  as  well  as  in  the  preceding  periods,  and  to 
have  fuftered  extremely  for  want  of  a  good  police- 
On  the  death  of  Innocent  VIII,  in  a.  d.  1492, 
there  were  dreadful  diforders  in  Rome.  The  city 
was  abandoned  to  the  mob,  who  plundered  houfes, 
and  filled  the  ftreets  with  carnage.  The  jud^^es 
durft  not  appear  for  fear  of  being  expofed  to  the 
rage  of  the  people,  who  curfed  the  late  pope  for 
having  had,  as  they  faid,  no  compaffion  for  the 
poor.  At  the  time  of  the  eleftion  of  another  pope, 
the  ftreets  were  fo  crouded  with  banditti,  robbers, 
and  afTaflins,  that  the  cardinals  were  obliged  to  in- 
troduce whole  companies  of  mufketeers  into  their 
palaces,  and  to  have  canon  pointed  to  the  avenues 
leading  to  them.  The  ftteets  of  the  burgh  of  St. 
Peter  were  barricaded  with  large  pieces  of  timber, 
behind  which  were  placed  foldiers,  while  the  light 
horfe  continually  paraded  round  the  palace. 

The  perfonal  charafters  of  the  popes  in  this 
period  had  nothing  to  recommend  them.  They 
were  all  men  of  ambition,  feme  of  them  very  ra- 
pacious. 


16  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per; XXI. 

pacious,  and  alfo  profligate  in  other  refpe6ls.  Car- 
dinal Borgia,  who  after  Innocent  VIII  was  pope, 
and  took  the  name  of  Alexander  VI,  was  not  only, 
fays  the  continuator  of  Fleury,  unworthy  of  the 
pontificate,  but  of  the  lowefl  funftions  in  the 
church.  While  he  was  cardinal  he  had  by  Vano- 
tia,  the  wife  of  D.  Arimano,  four  fons  and  a 
daughter.  His  eldeft  fon,  Lewis  Borgia,  was 
(Juke  of  Gandia,  the  fecond,  called  Caefar,  was  a 
cardinal,  and  afterwards  the  duke  Valentinois, 
the  moll  cruel  and  ambitious  of  men;  but  his 
father  had  fuch  a  blind  fondnefs  for  him,  as  to  over- 
tuvn  all  laws,  human  and  divine,  in  order  to  ad- 
vance him. 


SECTION  II. 

Tke  Hijiory  of  the  Councils  of  Bafil  and  Florence^ 

X  HE  greatefl  contefl  the  popes  had 
in  this  period  was  with  the  council  of  Bafil,  and 
tho'  their  condu6l  was  manifeflly  irregular,  yet  by 
fuperior  addrefs,  and  perfeverance,  they  triumph- 
ed in  the  end.  At  the  council  of  Coriftance,  little 
having  been  done  in  the  reformation  of  the  church; 
cither,  as  the  phrafe  then  was,  in  the  head,    or  the 

members, 


Sec.  II.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  17 

mcmhcr^,     it  wras   appointed   that    other  councils 
fhould  be  held,    at   limes  then  fixed  for  that  im- 
portant purpofe.      When    this     time    was     come, 
fo  that  it  could  not  be  decently  deferred,   Martin  V 
fummoncd  one  to  meet  at  Pifa  ;  and,  fendmg  three 
legates,  it  was  opened  in  the  ufual  forms  in  May 
A.  D.  1423.     But  few  prelates  arriving,  and  there 
being  fome  apprehenfion  of  a  plague  in  that  city, 
it  was  transferred  to  Sienna,  where  the  firft  fefTion 
commenced  the  8th  of  November,    and  fome  de- 
crees were  made  refpc6ling  the  Huffites.     But  be- 
fore they  proceeded  to  any  articles  of  reform,   the 
pope,  fearing  left  the  ambaffador  of  the   king   of 
Arragon  (hould  give  him  fome  difturbance  abouf 
Benedi6l  XIII,  who  was  then  living,  and  favoured 
by  him,     but  chiefly  dreading   any    regulations  of 
reform,  he  put  oft  the  council  to  another  time  and 
place,  on  the  pretence  of  the  fmall  number  of  pre- 
lates attending,    and  the  wars  with  which  the  em- 
pire was  then  diflra6led. 

However,  his  legates,  having  fufficlent  powers 
for  that  purpofe,  and  being  defirous  of  promotin^r 
the  objed  of  the  council,  appointed  another  meet- 
ing at  Bafil,  feven  years  from  that  time,  the  arch- 
bifhop  of  Toledo  alone  obje6ling  to  it,  as  feeming 
to  be  made  with  a  view  to  elude  the  propofed  re- 
formation. Others  cxpreffing  the  fame  apprehen- 
fion, the  legates  declared  that  by  this  traiiflation 
Vol.  V.  B  the 


18  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXI. 

the  council  could  not  be  confidered  as  even  inter- 
rupted, for  that,  in  the  mean  time,  the  piefident 
and  deputies  would  ferioufly  labour  in  the  bulinefs 
of  the  rtiormation  of  the  church. 

In  the  mean  time  Martin  was  fucceeded  by 
Eugenius  IV,  a  man  flill  more  averfe  to  the  coun- 
cil, ;ind  who  did  every  thing  th^it  he  could  to  pre- 
vent its  meeting,  well  aware  that  it  could  not  but 
be  prejudicial  to  his  authority.  This,  however, 
was  not  in  his  power;  and  the  firft  feflionat  Bafil 
was  held  December  14th,  a.  d.  1431,  when  it 
was  opened  by  cardinal  Julian,  who  had  d:flin- 
guifhed  himfelf  in  his  embaffies  to  Bohemia;  and 
the  members  of  the  council,  deGrous  of  promoting 
the  proper  objeft  of  it,  ufed  every  precaution  to 
prevent  the  cabals  of  the  Italian  prelates,  who  were 
in  the  intereft  of  the  pope.  And  being  apprized 
of  the  pope's  intention  to  diffolve  the  council,  the 
firft  decrees  they  made  were  in  confirmation  of 
thofe  of  the  council  of  Con  fiance;  afferting  the 
power  of  the  council,  and  the  obligation  of  all  per- 
fons  to  fubmit  to  its  decrees,  in  whatever  refpe£l- 
ed  articles  of  faith,  the  extin£iion  of  fchifm, 
and  the  reformation  ot  the  church ;  that  if  any  per- 
fon  whatever,  even  the  pope,  fhould  refufe  to 
obey  its  decrees,  he  fliould  be  put  in  a  ftate  of 
penance.     They  farther  decreed  that  the  pope  had 

no 


Sec.II.     1  he  christian  church.  19 

no  power  to   dlfTolve,  transfer,  or  prorogue,    the 
council,  ivithout  its  own  confent. 

Notwithflmcling  thefe  fpirited  dfcrecs,  and  all 
the  endeavours  of  cardinal  Julian,  who  wrote  re- 
peatedly, and  in  the  mofl:  earned  manner,  to  dif- 
fuade  the  pope  from  his  purpofe,  feconded  by  a 
deputation  from  the  council  itfelf,  ari'iJ  the  refolu- 
tions  of  the  prelates  of  France,  who  had  been  af- 
fembledat  Bourges,  and  had  affened  the  vaidity  of 
the  council  at  Bafil ;  notwithftanding  alfo  the  flrong 
rernonftrance  of  the  emperor,  Eugenlus  perfifled 
in  the  publication  of  his  bull  for  the  diffolution  of 
the  council.  On  this  the  members  of  it  pronounced 
him  contumacious,  fufpended  from  the  admini- 
flration  of  the  pontificate,  and  forbad  any  one  to 
obey  him. 

By  proceeding  fo  far,  however,  the  council 
fuffered  much  in  the  efteem  of  the  princes  of  Eu. 
rope;  who,  dreading  another  fchifm,  wifhed  them, 
to  proceed  with  more  moderation,  thinking  it  to  have 
been  poffible  to  gain  the  pope,  if  they  had  adopted 
more  lenient  meafures.  Butinthisrefpe6llhecouncil 
had  formed  a  truer  judgment  of  his  charader  than 
they.  The  pope,  tho*  at  that  time  attended  by 
no  more  than  three  cardinals,  publi filed  a  bull 
declaring  the  decrees  of  the  council  againft  him  to 
be  null,  by  the  plenary  authority  with  which  he 
faid  he  was  in ve fled  as  pope.  At  length,  how* 
B  2  ever. 


20  [THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

ever,  his  temporal  affairs  not  being  in  the  beft  fi- 
tuation,  and  urged  by  the  emperor,  who  wiflied  to 
moderate  the  violence  ol  both  parties,  and  by  any 
means  to  prevent  another  fchifm,  he  revoked  his 
bull,  and  acquiefced  in  the  decrees  of  the  council  • 
exprefsly  confirming  thofe  relating  to  the  fuperiori- 
ty  of  general  councils  to  the  pope,  in  whatever 
rcfpeds  articles  of  faith,  the  extinftion  of  fchifm, 
and  the  reformation  of  the  church. 

Pofl'effed  of  this  advantage,  the  council  decreed 
that  the  popes  fhould  take  an  oath,  not  only  at 
their  eleftion,  but  annually  on  the  anniverfary  of 
it,  that  they  held  the  catholic  faith,  and  the  de- 
crees of  all  the  general  councils,  exprefsly  men- 
tioning thofe  of  Conflance  and  Bafil.  And  among 
their  articles  of  reformation,  they  decreed  that  the 
popes  fhould  not  give  any  places  of  power  and 
truft  to  their  relations  beyond  the  fecond  degree. 

The  pope,  as  might  be  expe6led,  was  exceed- 
ingly offended  at  thefe  decrees  ;  and  paying  no  re- 
gard to  any  of  their  reforms,  the  council  cited  him 
to  appear  before  them  in  fixty  days.  In  vin- 
dication of  their  eonduft,  they  wrote  to  all  the 
princes  of  Europe ;  and  he  not  appearing,  they 
once  more  declared  him  contumacious.  In  the 
mean  time,  he  gained  a  decifive  advantage  over 
the  council,  by  fending  legates  to  Conftantinople; 
who  arriving  before  thofe  of  the  council,  prevailed 

upon 


Sec.  II.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  21 

upon  the  Greeks,  who  then  courted  an  union  with 
the  Latins,  to  fend  tlieir  ambaffadors  to  a  council 
which  the  pope  propofed  to  affemble  at  Ferrara, 
when  the  Fathers  at  Bafil  had  propofed  to  give 
them  a  hearing  at  Avignon.  With  this  advantage 
Eugenias  publiflied  a  bull,  in  which  he  allowed 
the  members  of  the  council  at  Bafil  to  continue 
their  fittings  thiity  days,  but  only  for  the  purpofe 
of  treating  with  the  Bohemians.  To  this  they  paid 
no  regard,  but  declared  the  pope's  calling  of  a 
council  to  meet  at  Ferrara  to  be  null,  and  threaten- 
ed him  with  depofiiion  it  he  did  not  recall  his  bull 
for  that  purpofe. 

Not  difcouraged  by  the  fpirit  which  the  coun- 
cil flieu'ed,  the  pope  lixed  the  meeting  of  his  coun- 
cil for  the  8th  of  January,  a.  d.  1438  ;  and  on  the 
10th  it  was  a£lual!y  opened;  when  he  declared  the 
tranflation  of  the  council  from  Bafil  to  Ferrara, 
and  that  every  thing  tliat  fhould  be  done  there 
from  that  tims  ihould  be  null,  except  v*'hat  related 
to  the  Bohemians.  Cardinal  Julian,  who  had 
hitherto  prefided  in  the  council  of  Bafil,  now  left 
it,  and  joined  that  at  Ferrara,  tho'  only  four  pre- 
lates accompanied  him.  All  the  ambaffadors  from 
the  princes  of  Europe  remained  at  Bafil,  and  the 
king  of  France  exprelsly  forbad  any  of  his  prelates 
to  go  to  Ferrara. 

B  3  The 


22  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

The  prelates  at  Bafil,  not  difcouraged  by  ihe 
defertion  of  their  prefident,  or  the  proceedings  at 
Ferrara,  not  only  continued  their  fittings  in  defi- 
ance of  the  pope's  prohibition,  but  again  declared 
him  fufpended  from  his  jurifdidion.  Being  now 
in  a  date  of  open  hoftility,  he  forbad  their  allemb- 
ling  under  pain  of  excommunication,  and  ordered 
them  to  leave  the  place  within  thirty  days.  He 
a]  To  ordered  the  magiftrates  of  the  city  to  drive  them 
from  it,  under  pain  of  excommunication  and  in* 
terdidl;  and  forbad  any  pro vifions  or  merchandife 
to  be  carried  into  it  while  they  continued  there. 
They,  however,  fhev.-ed  no  lefs  fpirit,  declaring 
the  affembly  at  Ferrara  fchifmatical,  ordered  the 
members  to  appear  before  them  within  a  month, 
and  excommunicated  all  thofe  who  fFiould  diredly 
or  indirecl'v  hinder  any  perfon  from  going  to  Ba- 
fil. Af>er  this,  however,  all  farther  hoftiie  pro- 
ceedings were  fufpended  bv  the  interpofition  of  the 
ambaffjdors  from  the  diet  at  Nuremberg.  Albeit 
duke  of  Auftna  alfo  entertained  fome  hope  that,  by 
his  iriterceffion  wi  h  the  pope,  an  open  ruptuif 
might  be  prevented,  in  confcquence  of  which 
nothing  was  done  till  May  a.  D.-1438. 

In  January  a.  d.  1439  the  pope,  on  the  pre- 
tence of  the  plague  being  in  Ferrara,  removed  hit 
council  to  Florence,  the  people  of  that  city  hav. 
ing  promifed  to  defray  a  confiderablc  part  of  th. 

ex- 


Sec.il   the  christian  church.  23 

expence ;  and  this  city  being  more  convenient  for 
him  in  feveral  refpeds.  Here  were  all  the  pro- 
ceedings relating  to  the  union  of  the  Greek  and 
Latin  churches,  of  which  an  account  will  be  given 
in  a  feparate  fefiion;  and  during  all  this  time  the 
council  at  Bafil  continued  to  lit,  attended  by  the 
ambafTadors  of  all  the  princes  of  Europe,  except 
thofe  of  the  duke  of  Burgundy,  who  were  at  Flo- 
rence. They  would  not,  however,  confenttoany 
of  the  decrees  againfl  the  pope,  but  preferved  a 
kind  of  neutrality.  This  moderation  had  no  ef- 
^e6l  on  the  members  of  the  council.  For,  after 
long  debates  on  the  fubjeft,  they  proceeded  on  the 
25th  of  June  to  pafs  the  fentence  of  depofition  011 
the  pope  as  "afimoniac,  a  perjured  perfon,  an 
•'  encourager  of  fchifm,  a  heretic,  obuinate  in  his 
*'  errors,  and  a  diffipaterof  the  goods  of  the  church;" 
and  it  is  fomething  remarkable  that  this  decree  was 
paiTed  at  Bafil  on  the  very  day  that  the  union  of  the 
two  churches  was  concluded  at  Florence,  an  event 
that  to  app.'arance  r^flecleJ  the  greatell  honour 
upon  him. 

The  princes  of  Europe  were  hy  no  means  fatis- 
fisd  with  this  violent  proceeding  of  the  council  at 
Bafil,  and  their  depi^ties,  fent  to  inform  them. of  it, 
were  univerfally  ill  received.  At  Frankfort  and 
Mayence  they  were  exprefsly  told  that  the  princes 
of  Germany  would  not  depart  from  their  neutrali- 

B   4  ty, 


24  TilE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXL 


'ty,  but  would  appeal  to  a  council  HiOre  general 
than  that  at.Bafil,  to  pope  Eugenius  and  the 
apoftohc  fee,  or  the  perfon  to  whom  it  rightly  be- 
longed. Eugenius  himfelf,  hearing  of  their  pro- 
ceedings, a61ed  with  no  lefs  violence,  publifhing  a 
bull,  in  which  he  annulled  all  they  had  done,  de- 
claring them,  excommunicz  ted,  ,  heretics,  and 
fchifmatics,  and  that  t'here  was  no  punifliment  great 
enough  for  them  or  their  adherent?. 

The  prelates  at  Balil  replied ;  but  after  much 
debating  on  the  fubje6l,  refrained  from  calling  his 
decree  heretical.  However,  after  much  prepara- 
tion, they  procbetled  to  the  eleclion  of  another 
pope,  and  the  choice  fell  on  Viflor  Amadeus,  late 
duke  of  Savoy,  biit  'who  had  relinquifhed  the  fo- 
vere'pntv,  and  lived  a  relioious  and  reclufe  life 
near  the  lake  of  Geneva.  After  much  hefitation, 
he  accepted  the  nomination,  and  took  the  name  of 
Felix  V.  On  this  Eigcnius  declared  him  a  heretic, 
and  fchifmatic;  he  excommunicated  his  eIe6lors 
and  adherents,  and  in  order  to  ftrengthen  his  in- 
terefl:,  created  fevcnteen  new  cardinals. 

The  ele6lion  of  another  pope  was  fo  like  the 
commencement  of  anoi  her  great  fchifm,  which  had 
prodiiced  fo  much  mifchief,  sftid  had  been  fo  diffi- 
cult to  terminate,  that  the  befl  friends  of  the  coun- 
cil of  Bafil  greatly  difapproved  of  it.  When  the 
members  of , the  council  demanded  of  the  princes  of 

Ger- 


Sec.  II.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  25 

Gerrr.any,  at  their  diet  in  Frankfort  in  a.  d.  1440, 
their  acknov/Iedgment  of  Felix,  they  reiufed  to  do 
it.  No'withflanding  this,  they  excommunicated 
all  who  would  not  acknowledge  him,  of  what  rank 
foever  they  were,  and  alfo  renewed  their  decree 
againfl;  Eugenius,  while  he  again  excommunicated 
Fehx,  calHng  him  antipope,  heretic,  fchifmatic,  &c. 
to  which  he  replied  with  equal  violence. 

In  order  to  fupport  the  dignity  of  the  new  pope, 
the  council  voted  him  a  fifth  of  the  revenues  of  the 
greater  ecc'efiaflical  benefices  for  the  five  firfl  years 
of  his  pontificate,  and  a  tenth  afterwards.  The 
princes  of  Europe  were  divided  in  a  fingula  rman- 
ner  in  this  dilemma.     The  kin<is  of  France,   Ens:^ 

O  '  O 

land,  and  Scotland,  and  the  German  princes,  ac- 
knowledged the  council  of  Bafil,  but  not  the  pope 
they  had  ele6led.  But  Elizabeth  queen  of  Hun- 
gary, Albert  of  Bavaria,  and  Albert  cf  Auflria, 
acknowledged  Felix,  as  did  Piedmont  and  Savoy, 
and  the  univerficy  of  Paris,  with  thofe  in  Germany 
and  Cracow  in  Poland.  Italy,  and  the  reft  Oi  Eu- 
rope, acknowledged  Eugenius. 

In  an  affcmbly  of  (he  German  princes  at 
Mayence,  in  a.  d.  1^41,  orators  on  both  fides 
were  heard  at  great  kngth  ;  but  infiead  of  declar- 
ing for  either,  the  princes  recbm mended  the  calling 
of  another  council  in  fome  city  of  France  or  Ger- 
many ;  and  for  this  purpofe  invitations  verc  fcnt 

B  5  both 


26  THE  HIS  rOIlY  OF        Per.  XXI. 

both  to  Eugenius  and  Felix.  Both  fides  then  ap- 
plied to  the  emperor  Frederic,  "who  ivas  at  Vienna, 
but  he  referred  them  to  the  diet  which  was  to  be 
held  at  Frankfort  the  year  following.  Then  alfo 
.it  was  agreed  to  fend  ambaffadors  both  to  Eugenius, 
and  the  council  o[  Bafil,  to  propofe  another  coun- 
cil, to  be  held  in  Germany  ;  and  to  this  the  mem- 
bers of  the  council,  tho' witii  rduftance,  confentcd, 
but  Eugenius,  with  great  haughtinefs,  reje£ledthe 
prcpofal. 

In  the  mean  time  Alphonfo  of  Arragon  fub- 
mltted  his  fix  kingdoms  to  the  obedience  of  Felix. 
The  fame  was  alfo  promifed  hy  Ulric  governor  of 
Bohemia,  then  hard  prelled  by  the  Huffiles.  The 
bifhop  of  Cracow  alfo  acknowledged  Felix,  and 
the  king  of  Poland  was  favourable  to  him. 

Sodn,  however,  after  this  his  affairs  took  an 
unfavourable  turn.  In  a.  d.  1.143  Alphonfo, 
after  ncgociafing  with  Felix,  made  better  terms 
with  Eugenius,  and  then  acknov/ledged  him,  and 
recalled  his  prelates  from  Bafil.  Felix  hinifclf, 
being  dilTatisfied  with  his  council,  retired  to  Lau- 
fannc,  and  refnfed  to  return  ;  faying  he  found  by 
experience  thnt  the  council  was  better  governed 
there,  than  at  B.\fi!.  At  length  the  wars  of  Ger- 
many, the  retreat  of  the  prelates  ol  Alphonfo, 
the  predrng  inftances  of  the  emperor  to  call  ano- 
ther coancil,   thc^abfencc  of  Felix,  and  the  little 

affillancc 


Sec.  II.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  2/ 

affiflance  they  could  expc£l:  at  BaGl,  obliged  th« 
members  of  the  council  to  feparate,  af  cr  their 
four  h  feflion  in  May  a.  d.  1443,  and  after  no- 
minally transferring  the  council  to  Lyons,  or  Lau- 
fanne,  but  without  ever  meeting  there.  Felix  was 
fometimcs  at  Laufannc,  and  fometimes  at  Geneva, 
attended  by  four  cardinals.  But  two  of  them  dy- 
ing, and  one  of  them  going  to  Vienna,  he  had  ob- 
tained the  leave  of  the  council  to  create  five  more. 
In  the  mean  time  Eugenius  had  removed  his  coun- 
cil fiom  Florence  to  Rome,  where  he  himfelf  arri- 
ved Sept.  28,   A.  D.  T443. 

The  king  of  France,  and  the  princes  of  Ger- 
many, who  interefled  themfelves  the  mofl  in  this 
bufinefs,  propofed  difiF::rent  fchemes  ol  accommo- 
dation. The  latter  fent  a  letter  to  Eugenius  from 
the  diet  of  Frankfort  in  a.  d.  1446,  propoling  a- 
nother  general  council,  which  he  fh.:uld  acknow- 
ledge to  be  fuperior  to  the  pope  ;  but  the  king  re- 
commended the  withdrawing  of  all  the  cenfures  on 
both  fides,  the  acknowledgment  of  Eugenius,  and 
the  refervation  of  the  highefl  honours  in  the  church 
next  to  that  of  pope  to  Felix.  Prefently  after, 
receiving  thi  deputation  from  Germany,  the  p-  >pe 
died  in  February  23,  a.  d.  1447.  ^^^  betorc 
his  death  he  granted  fcveral  of  their  demanJs  in 
favour  of  their  churches,  and  he  died  in  feme  mea- 
fure  like  a   chriflian,  annulling  all  that  had  been 

done 


28  THE  HISrOllY  OF        Per;  3^X1. 

done  contrary  to  the  holy  fee  daring  the  fchifnf, 
abfolving  all  thofe  who  had  adhered  to  the  coun- 
cil of  Bafil  after  his  rupture  with  it,  and  alfo  refto- 
ring  them  to  their  dignities,  provided  they  return- 
ed to  the  unity  of  the  church. 

On  the  death  of  Eui^enius,  his  cardinals  chofc 
for  his  fucceffor  the  cardinal  of  Bologna,  who  took 
the  name  of  Nicolas  V,  and  was  immediately  ac- 
knowledged by  the  emperor,  and  the  princes  cf 
Germany,  as  alfo  by  the  king  of  France  ;  and  from 
this  time  all  refpeft  for  the  remains  of  the  council 
of  Bafil  was  withdrawn.  Thus  encouraged,  Ni- 
colas publiHied  a  bull,  in  v^'hich  he  excommuni- 
cated Felix,  calling  him  "  a  child  of  iniquity,  a 
'•  fchifmatic  and  heretic."  Pie  alfo  gave  the  dut- 
chy  of  Saxony,  which  adhered  to  Iiim,  to  the  king 
of  France,  or  the  dauphin,  and  granted  a  plenary 
indulsience  to  thofe  who  fhould  affift  in  the  con- 
qucft  of  it  for  them.  To  fatisfy  the  Germans,  he- 
cntcred  into  a  treaty  with  them. called  the  Concor- 
dat^ in  confequence  of  which  the  difpoHJ  of  certain 
eccleriaflicil  benefices  was  refervcd  to  himfclf,  and 
the  reil  left  to  free  election. 

In  the  time,  Felix  being  weafy  of  opoofition, 
and  having  exprefl'ed  a  willingnefs  to  refign  the 
dignities  with  which  the  council  of  Bafil  had  in- 
vetted  him,  Nicolas  was  not  inexorable,  but  pub- 
lifhed  a  bull,  in  which  he  annulled  all  that   had 

been 


Sec.  II.     THE  eilRISTIA.N  CHURCH.  S9 


been  done  during  the  fchifni  ;  and  in  order  to  put 
•  an  end  to  it  in  the  eafiefl  manner,  the  king  of  France 
held   an  adembly  at    l^yons,   in  confequcriCe    ci 
which  ambafiadors  were  fent  to  Nicolas  and  Felix 
from  France,  and  alfo  from  England,     and  it  v/as 
agreed  that  the  latter  fhould  refign,    but  continue 
a  cardinal  bifliop,  be  legate,    and  perpetual  vicar 
of  the  holy  fee  in  Savoy,  have  the  firfl   place  next 
to  the  pope,  and  other  perfonal  honours.  jPavour- 
able  ftipulations  were  aifo  made  for  the  cardin^tl^  of 
Felix-,  their  dignity  being  allowed.       Accordingly 
Felix  refigned  in  proper  form  April  9th,  a.  p.  14.40; 
and  thofe  who  remained  of  the   memberjs   of  the. 
council  of  Balil,  affembling  at  L^^ufanae  the  16th 
of  the  fame  month,    authorized  in  proper  form  all 
that  had  been  agreed  to;  they  received  the  refigr^ar 
tion  of  Felix,  and  elected   NipoI^s,    in  the   ufual 
manner.     Thus  was  the  laft  fchifm  in  the  Roman 
church  happily  terminated,    to  the  great  joy  of  all 
Chriftendom.       Felix  retired   to  Ripailles,  v.'h?re 
he  lived  three  years,  dying  in  a.  d.  1.^52,    at  the 
age  of  68. 

It  is  impofiible  to  confider  this  hiftory  with- 
out feeing  that  the  credit  and  authority  of  all  coun- 
cils is  derived  from  the  fupport  of  the  temporal 
powers  ;  and  that  without  this,  no  regularity  in  the 
form  of  convocation,  or  in  the  proceedings,  is  of  any 
avail. 

SECTION 


4d  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXI, 

SECTION    III. 

Of  the  Councils  of  Pifa,    and  Lateran. 


A: 


S  the  fpirit  of  pope  Eugenius  IV 
enabled  him  to  get  the  better  of  the  council  of  Bafil, 
that  of  Julius  II,  which  was  no  way  inferior  to 
that  of  any  pope,  enabled  him  to  triumph  over 
that  of  Pifa,  notwithftanding  the  advantage  it  de- 
rived from  the  authority  of  the  council  of  Con- 
fiance,  which  was  certainly  inlided  to  very  great 
refpeft.  A  reformation  of  the  church,  in  its  head 
as  well  as  its  members,  was  univerfally  deemed  to 
be  neceflary  ;  and  in  order  to  enfure  this  great  ob- 
ject, provifion  was  made  for  a  fucceffK^n  of  general 
councils,  the  authority  of  which  was  decided  to  be 
fuperior  to  that  o<"the  popes.  Senfible,  however, 
that  their  power  would  be  materially  affeded  by 
any  reformation,  they  had  uied  all  their  influence 
to  prevent  the  convocation  of  any  fuch  council, 
and,  as  in  the  cafe  of  that  of  Bifil,  to  defeat 
the  objeft  of  them  when  aflfembled  in  the  moll 
regular  manner.  Many  of  the  cardinals,  how- 
ever, and  all  the  princes  of  Europe,  being 
aggrieved  by  the  exa6lions  of  the  court  of  Rome, 
favoured  the  calling  of  councils,    by  which  they 

hoped 


Sec.  III.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURGJI.  51 

hoped  to  be  relieved,  and  efpccialiy  when  they 
had  any  difference  with  the  popes,  whom  they 
wilbed  by  this  means  to  mortify. 

In  A.  D.  1511,  after  an  open  war  between  Ju- 
lius II  and  feme  of  the  ftates  cf  Italy,  affiiled 
by  the  king  of  France,  a  council  was  called  in  the 
r.ame  of  nine  cardinals,  the  emperor,  and  the  king 
cf  France,  to  meet  at  Pifa,  after  the  pope  had  in 
vain  been  invited  to  concur  in  the  meafure,  and 
had  been  reminded  of  his  engagement  to  call  a 
council  within  two  years  of  his  eleftion.  The 
profeiTed  objeft  of  this  council,  as  well  as  of  that 
of  Bafil,  was  the  reformation  of  the  church  in  its 
head  and  members,  and  the  pope  himfelf  was  in 
the  moll  refpeftful  manner  cited  to  appear  and 
prcfide  in  it. 

In  order  to  ward  off  this  blow,  the  pope,  en- 
couraged by  the  coolnefs  of  the  emperor  in  the  bu- 
finefs,  publilhed  a  bull,  convoking  another  general 
council,  to  meet  at  Rome  in  April  a.  d.  1513; 
and  forbidding  under  paiu  of  excommunication 
the  celebration  of  any  other  general  council.  He 
alfo  publilhed  another  bull  againft  thofe  cardinals 
who  were  the  principal  authors  of  the  convocation 
of  the  council  at  Pifa,  fummoning  them  to  appear 
before  him,  and  threatning  them  with  the  depriva- 
tion of  their  ranks  as  cardinals,  and  of  all  their  ec- 
clehaflical  benefices  in  cafe  of  difobedience. 

Thefe 


'^2  THE  HIS  TORY  OF         Per.  XXL 

Thefe  cardinals,  iho'  not  a  little  intimidated 
hy  this  threat,  perfiftedin  their  purpofe,  and  wrote 
to  the  cardinals  at  Rome  in  vindication  of  their 
condu6l.  They  alfo  publiflied  another  apology 
for  holding  a  council,  and  giving  (heir  reafons  for 
doing  it  without  the  concurrence  of  the  pope.  And 
in  November  1,  a.  d.  1511,  thecouncil  wasaclually 
opened ;  when  it  was  attended  by  four  cardinals, 
the  principal  of  whom  was  Caravajal  bifliop  of 
Bayeux,  who  was  prefident,  procurators  from  fe- 
veral  others,  many  prelates,  and  among  them  the 
archbifhops  of  Lyons  and  Sens,  the  abbot  of  Ci- 
teaux,  and  others,  a  deputy  from  that  of  Clugny, 
fome  dc6lors  from  the  univerlity  of  Paris,  and  ma- 
ny other  refpeclable  perfons. 

In  the  firfl:  feffion  the  members  of  this  council 
aCferted  their  power  to  meet  and  aft  notwithfland- 
ing  the  cenfures  of  the  pope  ;  in  the  fecond  they 
made  regulations  for  their  future  proceedings,  and 
in  the  third  they  decreed  the  fuperiority  of  general 
councils  to  the  pope,  and  the  obligation  to  fubmit 
to  their  decrees. 

As  foon  as  the  pope-was  informed  of  the  open- 
ing of  the  council,  he  excommunicated  by  name 
all  the  cardinals  who  attended  it ;  depriving  them 
of  their  dignities  and  benefices.  But  the  cardinals 
who  were  with  him  not  approving  of  this  violence, 
he  was  fo  much  agitated,  that  he  fell  fick,  and  his 

death 


S£C.  Tlr.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  S5 

death  was  c^pe6led.  However,  when  he  recovrr- 
ed  lie  abarcd  nothing);  of  his  violenc:.  And  in  the 
mean  time  the  people  of  Florence,  who  were  maf- 
ters  ol  Pna,  apprehending  inconvenience  tothem- 
felves  lioai  the  holding  of  the  council  ui  that  citj^, 
when  the  pope  was  to  ijoflile  to  it,  the  members 
removed  to  Milan,  where  they  were  under  the 
proU'tli«,n  o\  the  emperor,  and  where  they  were  re- 
ceived with  great  joy. 

At  Milan  the  council  was  better  attended  than 
It  had  been  at  Pi  fa,  two  more  cardinals  having 
joined  it,  and  feveral  more  bidiops  and  abhors. 
They  then  appointed  a  farther  time  for  the  pope 
to  fix  upon  fome  place  where  they  might  meet  him, 
for  the  purpofe  of  holding  the  council,  anfwertd 
}{is  excommunications,  and  forbad  the  domeftics 
of  ^iny  of  their  members  to  leave  the  city  withouC 
the  confent  of  their  matters;  as  many  of  them,  te- 
rified  by  the  bulls  of  the  pope,  had  done.  In  ano- 
ther fefTion  they  decreed  the  convocation  of  the 
council  at  Rome  to  be  null,  and  allowed  the  pope 
twenty  four  days  to  retraft  what  he  had  done  v/ith 
refpeft  to  it ;  and  this  term  being  cxpiied,  they 
proceealed  fo  f;ir  as  to  decree  his  depofition,  and 
exhorted  all  chriftian  Deoole  no  loniier  to  acknow- 
ledge  him,  being  "  a  diflurbsr  of  the  council,  con- 
''  tumacious,  the  author  of  fchiim,  incorrigible,  and 
"  hardened." 
VoL.V.  C  The 


;U  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXL 

The  cmpercr  had  never  been  very  zealous  for 

the   coiincij,    nv.d  being  at   length  g'linecl  by   the 

pope,  the  member?  found  it  necefTary  for  them  to 

leave   Milan,  and   transfer  (he   council  to  Lyons, 

where  they  were  under  the  prote6lion  of  the   king 

ol  France.      But  he  not  being  able  to  engage  oiher 

princes  in  their  fupport,    they   could   not  proceed 

any   farther.      Lewis   hinifclf,    however,    accepted 

the  decrees  of  this  dcfeited  council,  and  forbad  his 

fubje6ls  having  any  recouvfe  to  Rome  :  while    the 

pope,  perceiving  his  advantage  in  the   general  de- 

fertion  of   the  council,    ifTued  a  bull,  annulling  ail 

that  had  been  done  at  Pifa,  Milan,  or  Lyons.   He 

aKo  excommunica  ed  the  king  of  France,  and  laid 

the  kingdom  under  an  interdi6l ;  and  to  punifh  th« 

city  of  Lyons  for  receiving  the  council,   he  dep}iv- 

cd    it  of  the  privilege  of  holding   its  annual    fair, 

and  removed  it  to    Geneva.     The  king,  provoked 

by  this  violence,  replied  by  a  fpirited  protefr,  and 

alio  flruck  a  medal,  with  th^  arms  of  France  on 

the  rcverfe,   and   this  motto  Perdau  Babylonis  no- 

men. 

About  this  time  cardinal  Cajetan  publifhed  a 
treatife,  and  fcnt  a  copy  of  it  to  the  members  of 
this  council,  in  which  he  aa'erted  the  fuperiority  of 
the  pope  to  all  councils.  This  the  king  of  France 
referred  to  the  judgment  of  the  univerfity  of  Paris, 
who  appointed  three  perfons  to  reply  to  it;  but 

the 


Sec. III.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  35 

the  members  of  ihe  uiMveiTi^v  did  not  themfclves 
proceed  any  fartlier  tba:i  to  condrrnn  what  he  l^ad 
advanced  a^ainli  the  atiilioriry   ot    ihe  councils    )f 
ConOancs  and  B.ifil.      In  th's  trea'ile  th^  cardinal 
advanced  that  "  St.  Putcr  had   alone  the  govem- 
*' mcniot  the  ch:3rch,   that   llio' the  other  apolHes 
*'  received    their  apoflielTiip   from  Chrifl   himfclf, 
"  yet  as  part  of  his  flock,  ihcv  were  fuljtrfl  to  Pe- 
'•  tcr;   that  he  received  his  authority  by  the  order 
'•  of  nature,  but  they  theirs  by  fpccial  lavcur;  that 
*'  he  was   the   vicjir  general    of  Jtfus  Chrifl,  and 
"  they  his  lieutenants  and  delegates;  (liat  their  au- 
"  thority  expired  at  their  dea  h,  but  that  his  v.-as 
'•  continued  in  his  fuccefTor?;  that  their  power  was 
*'•  that  of  executing,  but  his  of  comsTiandin^ ;"  dif- 
tinClions  fays  Fleury,  al  ogethcr  new.      He  further 
alTcrted,.  that  in   no  cafe    except  that  of  herefv 
could    a    council    be    lawfully    called  to  denofe  a 
pope,  and    then    that   they    had  no  other  bufinefs 
than  to  chufe  another. 

Julius,  tho'  difappointed  in  his  endeavours  to 
procure  the  attendance  of  the  arclibifli'jp  of  Tole- 
do, the  celebrated  Ximcnes,  and  the  archbiHiop  of 
Seville,  neverthelels  opened  his  co  mcil  with  much 
folemnity,  May  3,  a.  d.  1512.  wiien  it  was  attend- 
ed by  fifteen  cardinals,  three  hundred  and  eighty 
biinops  or  archbifliops,  but  all  of  Ilal)',  and  fix- 
teen  abbots  or  generals  of  orders.     And  the  third 

C  2  fedion. 


3«  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXI. 

feffion,  which  was  held  in  December,  was  attended 
by  the  bifliop  of  Guixk,  who  was  fent  by  the  em- 
peror  to    fignify  his   renunciation  of  all  that  had 
paffed  at  the  council  of   Pifa,  and  his  approbation 
of  the  prefent  council  of  Lateran.      In  this  ftffion 
were    read  all    the  pope's  bulls  in  condemnation 
of  the  council    of  Pifa,  and*  againft  the  k'w<i  of 
France;  and  in  the  fourth  were  read  the  letters  of 
Lewis  XI,  fignifying  his  abrogation  of  the  pragma- 
tic  fan6lion ;  w^hen   all    who  favoured  it  were   ci- 
ted to  appear  in  fixty  days.    A  fifth  feflion  was  heid 
February  16,  a.  d»    1513,  but  the  pope  dying  be- 
fore that  time  in  Feb.  21,  nothing  of  importance  was 
done  in  it. 

Julius  was  fucceeded  by  the  cardinal  of  Medi- 
cis,  who  took  the  name  of  Leo  X,  a  great  favourer 
of  men  of  letters,  by  which  his  family  was  diftin- 
guifiied,  but,  given  to  voluptucufnefs,  and  prodi- 
gality. He  entered  into  all  the  views  of  Julius, 
and  held  the  fixth  feffion  of  the  council  the  11th 
of  April  A.  D,  1513,  in  which  the  prelates  were 
divided  into  three  claffes,  one  to  treat  of  the  peace 
among  the  chriftian  princes,  the  feccnd  of  matters 
concerning  faith,  and  the  third  what  related  to  the 
reformation  and  the  piagmatic  hnEHoii. 

In  the  feventh  feffion,  held  ihe  17th  of  June, 
letters  were  read  from  ihe  cardinals  Carovajal  and 
Scverne,  renouncing   the   fchifm,  condemning  the 

a6ls 


Sec.  III.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       T,7 

a6ls  cf  the  council  of  Pifa  and  acknowledging  that 
of  l.alcran.  But  an  event  of  much  more  confe- 
quence  than  this,  was  the  king  of  France  now  ac- 
knowledging the  authority  of  this  council,  and  re- 
nouncing that  of  Pifa.  To  this  condudl  he  had 
always  been  folicited  by  the  queen,  who  was  flrong- 
ly  prepofiefled  in  favour  oi' the  pope,  and  the  court 
of  Rome.  It  was,  befideJi,  with  the  greateft  re- 
luftance  that  he  himielf  had  quarrelled  with  the 
pope,  and  he  had  always  vt^ilhed  for  a  reconciliati- 
on ;  and  therefore,  on  the  pope's  making  an  apo- 
lo'TV  for  enq;acrinii  the  Swifs  to  a6l  againfl;  him,  lie 
fent  ambaiTadors  for  the  purpofe  of  making  his 
peace.  The  two  cardinals  above  mentioned,  after 
exDrellinsj  their  repentance  were  with  great  ceremo- 
ny  reftored^to  favour,  and  reinftated  in  the  digni- 
ty of  which  they  had  been  deprived. 

The  parliament  of  Provence  had  always  exer- 
cifed  the  ri^ht  of  annexing  their  fiiinatuie  to  the 
pope's  bulls,  v.'iihout  which  they  were  not  allow- 
ed to  be  iaued.  This  the  popes  had  alwavs  com- 
plained of,  and  in  the  eighth  fcffion  of  this  council 
a  monitory  was  iiTued  to  command  the  members 
of  that  parliament  to  appear  before  them  within 
three  months ;  and  the  king  being  now  reconciled 
to  the  pope,  they  made  the  fubmi/Iion  that  was  re- 
quired of  them,  and  the  pope  confirmed  their  pri- 


vileges. 


In 


58  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXI. 

In  then-nth  ftfTion.  held  May  the  5th,  depu- 
ties tiom  the  king  of  Ana^on  attended,  and  what 
\v3s  more,  the  prclares  who  had  formed  the  council 
of  Pifn,  and  who  were  then  at  Lyons,  fcnt  to  make 
th.eir  fubmifhon,  renouncing  a)]  their  proceedings, 
and  apoloyifing  for  not  attending  ihc  council  in 
perfon,  on  account  of  their  not  having  been  ab.e 
to  procure  a  fafe  condu6l  for  their  paff.jge  of  the 
Alps.  The  excufe  was  admitted,  and  they 
were  abfolved  from  all  the  cenfures  that  had  been 
palled  upon  tliem.  The  tenth  feffion,  held  Ma)' 
14,  was  attended  by  ambafladors  from  the  duke 
Oi  Savoy,  to  lignify  hii;  fubmilTion  to  the  council. 
At  the  hmc  time,  the  lad  term  wns  fixed  for  the 
French  to  give  their  reafons  agai.ift  the  abclilion 
of  tJ^-  pragmatic  fanftion. 

,  Two  other  fcffions  were  held,  one  on  (he  iitb, 
cnc  t::e  19th  of  December,  in  winch  the  Marcnitcs 
acknowledged  their  fubmiffion  to  the  church  ot 
Rome,  a  bull  was  pubHIlied  relating  to  the  buli- 
nefs  of  preaching,  and  another  for  the  abolition 
ol  :!ie  pragrhatic  fanflion,  and  in  approbation  of 
the  Concordr*.t,  of  which  an  account  will  be  gi\'en 
in  another  fe£l:on,  and  on  the  lixt.eenlh  ol  March, 
A.  D.  1517,  the  council  was,  clofcd,  after  the  hold- 
ing of  the  tweli'ih  and  la^..  fLpiirn,  m  udiich  was 
read  a  ettcr  irom  the  emperor  Maximilian  on  the 
iucjed  of  the  TurkiOi  war,  a  bull  to  prevent  the 

plundering 


Sec.  III.     THE  CHIIISTIAN  CHURCH*  50 

•plundering  the  houfes  of  the  carrjinals  ivho  (hould 
be  defied  popes,  and  another  for  (he  clifTolution 
of  the  council;  in  which  it  v»'as  faid,  (hat,  as  the 
ends  for  which  it  had  been  convoked  were  hnppily 
anfwered,  peace  being  efiabhfhcd  among  the  chris- 
tians, the  reformation  of  manners,  and  of  the  court 
of  Rome  cfFetied,  and  the.alrcmblrofPifaaboUrhed, 
there  was  no  reafon  for  its  longer  continu.Tnce.  Se- 
veral of  the  prtlatf  s,  however,  obferved  tJ;2t  many- 
things  yet  remiired  to  be  regulated,  and  that  there- 
fore the  council  ought  to  fit  longer;  but  the  plu- 
rality of  voice^^  were  for  its  diflblution. 

Thus  ended  the  fifth  council  of  La'^eran,  af  cr 
it  had  continued  near  five  years.  The  P^reat  bnfi- 
nefs  of  reformation  wds  ftill  left  in  nearly  the  fame 
flate  in  which  it  had  been  at  the  council  of  Con- 
ftance,  no  abufe  ot  any  confequence  being  remov- 
ed. But  wh.it  the  church  would  not  do  for  itscif, 
the  providence  o!  God  was  pivp,'.ri.ng  the  means 
of  doiui^  in  a  much  more  effetluai  manner,  by  the 
iriOrumentality  of  M.ULia  Luther,  who  vjzs,  about 
this  very  time  beginnmg  to  declaim  againll  the 
doSrine  of  indulgence,  which  led  to  his  rejecting 
the  p^tp^l  authority  in  trio,  and  engaging  fever?.! 
ftates  of  Europe  to  renounce  their  fubjettion  to  tlie 
fee  of  Rome. 

C4  SECTION 


40  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXI 

SECTION  IV. 

Of  the  Pragmatic  San^ion,  and  Concordat, 


EXT  to  the  councils,  the  moil  feri- 
ous  alarm  the  popes  had  in  this  period,  was  the 
oppofition  that  was  made  to  their  exa6lions  by  the 
kings  of  France;  but  this,  like  the  bufmefs  of  the 
councils,  terminated  in  favour  of  the  papal  fee, 
though  the  popes  did  not  gain  all  they  wifhcd, 
and  all  they  gained  was  with  difficulty. 

While  the  two  oppofite  councils  of  Bafil  and 
Ferrara  were  fitting,  Charles  VII  of  Fiance  held 
an  aflfembly  at  Bfjurges  in  a.  d.  1438,  where  de- 
puties from  both  were  heard  ;  and  then  it  was 
that  the  ordinance  called  the  Pragraatic  fanBicn, 
in  favour  of  the  liberties  cf  the  Gallican  churcli, 
was  paiTed.  It  took  from  the  pope  almoil  all  the 
power  of  conferring  benefices,  and  j  lodging  ecclefi- 
aflical  caufes  in  France.  It  alfo  confirmed  a.'\  the 
good  regulations  made  by  the  council  of  Bafil, 
the  authority  oi  which  it  eflablini;?d  above  that  cf 
the  popes.  This  law  was  fent  by  ambalTadors  ap- 
pointed for  the  purpofe  to  the  council  of  Bafil, 
and  received  its   confirmation.     It  was  obferved 

during 


Sec.  IV.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        41 

durincT  ;  11  the  reiiitj  of  Charles  VII,  notwithfland- 
ing  all  tht  endeavours  of  pope  Engenius  to  pro- 
cure the  abplition  of  ir.  When  William  de  Ma- 
letrot,  bifhop  of  Nantes,  appealed  in  a.  d  1456 
to  the  pbpe  ajtjaiiTfl;  this  law,  the  perliament  of 
Paris  ordered  his  temporalities  to  be  feized,  as 
having  by  that  appeal  violated  the  rights  of  the 
Gallican  church,  and  a  fundamental  law  of  the 
kingdom  ;  fmcc,  as  fhey  faid',  the  king  holds  his 
temporalities  of  God  only,  and  tho'  the  pope  may- 
excommanicate  htm,  he  cannot  deprive  him  of  his 
eftates,  and  that  the  pape  cannot  cite  before  him 
any  of  the  king's  fubji:6ls.  In  confequence  of  this, 
the  biihop  found  it  neceflary  to  refign  his  biihopiic 
in  fivoUr  of  his  nephew,  and  the  pope,  unable  t6 
give  him  any  other  redrsfs,  made  him  bifhop  of 
ThielLuonica. 

At  the  council  of  Mantua,  in  a.  d.  1459,  Pius 
II  complained  heavily  of  the  i'-ijuhice  done  to  the 
church,  and  the  authoriiy  of  the  papal  fee,  by  the 
Pragmatic  fantxion  ;  tho'  in  the  council  of  Baf:!, 
of  which  he  was  an  active  member,  he  had  'approx'- 
cd  of  it.  But  the  parliament. of  Paris  was  ollcnd- 
ed  at  what  the  pope  had  faid  on  the  cccahon,  and 
the  procurator  gcner.l  made  a  formal  appeal,  in 
the  name  of  thekmg.  from  the  fentence  of  chepope, 
to  a  future  council ;   tlio'  the  pope  had  by  a  parti- 

U  5  cuiar 


42  THE  HIS  TORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

cular  bull  juft  before    condemned  all  fuch    ap- 
peals. 

The  politic  and  fupenlitious  Lewis  XI,  who 
vvilhed  lo  keep  meafures  with  the  court  of  Rome, 
promifed  this  pope  the  abolition  of  the  Pragmatic 
landion,  which  gave  him  fo  much  offence  ;  but 
the  pope  not  fulfilling  what  he  had  promifed  in 
return  for  fuch  a  favour,  and  both  the  parliament 
of  Paris  and  the  univerfity  remcnflrating  againft 
it,  he  made  fuch  ordinances  refpeftingrcfervcs  and 
expe£latives,  that  the  court  of  Rome  derived  very 
little  advantage  from  what  the  king  had  done 
in  its  favour.  To  pleafe  tlje  pope,  he  had  even 
difmiffed  the  procurator  general  for  his  cppofition 
to  the  pope  in  this  bufrnpfs  ;  but  it  was  obferved, 
that  he  conferred  greater  favours  on  him  in  ano- 
ther WT^y,  and  was  always  his  friend.  In  a,  d. 
i/ijG,  ^h:s  prince  gave  more  offence  to  the  pope, 
by  ordering  that  all  perfons  who  came  from  Rome, 
fliould,  at  their  entrance  into  the  kingdom,  fhew 
the  letters,  bulls,  and  other  writings  which  they 
brought  ;  that  it  might  be  feen  whether  they  con- 
tained any  thing'contrary  to  the  flate,  cr  the  intereft 
of  the    Callican  chiirch. 

In  A.  D.  1478  this  king  held  an  affembly  of 
hiis  clergy  and  nobles  at  Orleans,  with  a  view,  as 
he  <^ave  out,  lo  rePtore  the  Pragmatic  fanclion, 
and  abolifh  the  annates.     At  the  fame  time  he  re- 

quefled 


Si:c.  IV.       THE  cflRISTIAN  CHURCH. 


45 


quelled  the  pope  to  take  ofT  the  interdidl  which  he 
had  laid  on  the  ci  y  of  Florence,  lhrearnin<T,  in 
cafe  ot  liis  rcfafal,  to  withdratv  horn  his  obcdienco, 
and  appeai  to  a  !u  ure  council.  He  al To  ordered 
all  the  prelates  of  Francs  toreade  on  their  livings, 
on  the  penalty  of  the  deprivation  of  their  benefices. 
Nothing  houcvcr,  was  done  in  conftquence  of 
thefe  refukitions,  as  the  king  only  meant  to  intinn- 
datc  :hc  pope,  frid  to  favour  the  Florendnes. 
lis  hon^ever  f)rbad  liis  fubjecls  going  to  Rome  in 
order  to  pbtain  benefices,  or  to  fend  any  money 
thither. 

Thus  things  continued  till  the  death  of  Ltwls 
XL  His  Ion  Charles  VIII  f^Cvved  aill  more  fpi- 
r.t.  In  A.  D.  1485  cardinal  Balue  being  ft.nt  le- 
gate to  France,  and  exerciiing  his  fundiions  b^  fore 
his  letters  to  th.e  knig  had  been  preCcnted  to  pariia- 
ment  and  accepted,  ttic  king  was  fo  much  offc-tidcd, 
that  he  forb.vd  him  to  ufe  the  badge  of  his  ie^an- 
tine  ofSc-.  The  procuraior  general  of  the  pariia- 
ment  alio  took  the  opportunity  of  appea]jn.T  a- 
gainU  all  that  ihe  popeiliould  do,  accuiitia  |;jj;i  q^ 
infringing  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  kiti.-r_ 
dom. 

O-her  things  were  done  by  the  court  of  Fiance 
not  immediately  in  cord'cqucnce  ot  the  Praamafic 
fanclion,  which  gave  }jreat  oif  ,:ce  to  the  couit  of 
Rome.       Aiexaadci  VI  havir!''  in    a.    d.    imo 

o  J  — » 

impofed 


4.1  THE  HIS  TORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

impofed  a  tenth  upon  the  dergy  of  France  for  the 
expence  of  the  Taikifh  war,  the  univerfily  of  Paris, 
having  confuked  the  facuUy  of  theology,  decreed 
thatlLich  an  impohtion  being  contrary  to  the  de- 
crees of  councils  ought  not  to  be  obeyed,  and  that 
the  cenfures  of  the  court  of  PvOiTie  in  confequence 
of  this  refufal  ought  not  to  be  regarded  ;  it  being 
an  immem  )rial  cuflom  in  France,  that  there  fhould 
be  no  levy  without  the  king's  confent. 

In  A.  D.  1510  Lewis  XII  being,  tho'  much 
againll  his  will,  in  a  ftate  of  hoftility  u'ith  the 
pope,  aifembled  the  ckrgy  of  his  kingdom  at 
Tours,  in  order  to  confuk  tliem  how  far  he  could 
in  confcience  afiert  his  rights  againll;  the  injuf- 
ticc  01  Julius  II,  and  ho^v  lar  the  fpirituai  arms 
of  the  church  were  to  be  refpecled,  at  the  head  of 
an  army,  v/ho  made  ufe  of  them  to  fupport  injuf- 
tice  in  temporal  auiiis  ;  v/hen  thej''  agreed,  that 
the  pope  had  no  right  to  make  war  in  a  cafe  in 
which  neither  the  caufc  of  religion,  nor  the  domi- 
nions of  the  church,  was  concerned.  They  further 
faid,  that  a  temporal  fovcreign  may  lawfully  feize 
upon  the  lands  of  the  church  for  a  time,  in  order 
to  deprive  the  pope,  bcli:!g  his  enemy,  of  the  pow- 
er of  hurting  iiim,  and  that,  in  this  cafe,  alfo,  the 
cenfures  of  the  pope  ought  not  to  he  regarded. 

In   return"  lor  this,  the    pope  fulminated  his 
cenfures  againd  all  thofe  who  fhould  obey  the  de- 
crees 


Sec.  IV.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  45 

crecs  of  the  French  clergy,  and  againfl:  the  general 
of  the  French  army  by  name,  confidering  their 
condu6l  as  an  attack  on  the  authority  of  the. holy 
fee.  On  this  occafion,  hon-cvcr,  five  of  his  cardi- 
nals left  him,  and  joined  the  council,  which  vvas 
then  at  -Milan,  notvvilhrtanding  all  his  endeavours 
to  prevent  it.  And  the  French  general  was*  fo  far 
from  being  intimidated  by  the  pope's  bulls,  that 
feveral  attempts  were  made  by  him  to  get  polfcfli- 
on  of  his  perfon. 

On  the  acceffion  of  Francis  I  to  the  crown  of 
France,  and  of  Leo  X  to  the  popedom,  thi^  diiii- 
cult  bufinefs  was  compromilcd.  They  had  a 
meeting  at  Bologna  in  a.  d.  1515,  and  the  pope 
inlifting  upon  the  abolition  of  the  Pramatic  fan£li- 
on,  the  king  referred  the  bufinefs  to  the  chancel- 
lor du  Prat,  whoconfented  to  the.exchanp-e  of  the 
Pragmatic  fanclion,  far  another  fvflem,  called  the 
Concordat^  in  confcquence  of  which  the  kings  ot 
France  were  to  nominate  to  the  chr.rch  livings,  and 
the  popes  were  to  h:ive  t-ie  ai-naCes  of  the  more 
confiderable  of  [hem. 

The  French  nation  in  general  were  exceedino-- 
]y  difTatisfied  with  this  n./reement;  and  the  chan- 
cellor made  himfelf  very  /mpopular  by  his  condu6l 
in  this  bufinefs ;  and  the  advocate  general,  at  the 
opening  of  the  parliament  in  a.  d.  1516,  appealed 
from  the  acl  of  revocation,   and  abrogation  of  the 

Prac^matic 


46  THE  HISTORY  OF  Pe.i.  XXI. 

Pragmatic  fanftion.      It    had   not,  however,    any 
other  eiFe6l  than  to  increafe  in  the  French  nation 
their  difiike  of  the  court   of  Rome,   and  did    not 
difcourage  the  pope.      When  the  aft  ci  revocation 
Ctt-^ie  to  the  ufaal  form  of  regiRt  ring  in  p:)rh"amcnt, 
tho^  the  hing,    as  bound  in   honr<ur   to  fnh'ill    his 
agreement  with  the  pope,   uftd  his  utrnt.ft   endf'a- 
vours;  and  did   n-^t  fpare  even  threats,  the  p.irlja- 
ment  for  a  h)ng  tinienefulcd  to  comply.      Tiic  uni- 
verfiry  made  a  (bll  more   ohilinare  lefsft-wTfic.  ;ip- 
peahng    to  ihc    pnpe    better  advifed.   ?nd  a  lu'r.re 
council.      It)  the  art  which  they  pubh.fljed  on  ihis 
occafion,  Marcl(  27.  a.  d.  ir^ij,  th^y  faid.   '•'    The 
'•'  vicar  of  Jefus  Cbrift,  called  the  pope,  the'  he  has 
"  his  power  immediately  from  God,  is  not  impec- 
*•'  cable ;  that,  if  he  command  any  thin<;  that  is  un- 
"  jaft,  he  ought  to  be  refiflcd  ;  thai-  if  he  \^-\\\  am- 
"  pel  the  faithful  to  obey  him.  natural  right  leaves 
*'  ihcm  tlie  remedy  of  an  appeal,    which  ihe  king 
"  cannot  take  from  (hem,   bein^  founded  on  divine 
"  right." 

They  then  make  an  encomium  on  the  councils 
of  Conllance  and  Bafij,  and  pafs  fevere  cenfures 
on  Leo  and  tiic  cour.cjl  of  Lai-eran,  which  they 
fay  was  not  convoked  in  the  ipirjt  c.f  the  Lord, 
becaufe  the  Floly  fpirit  orders  nothing  conirary  -o 
the  divine  law,  and  the  facitd  councils  ;  and  laftly 

they 


sec.v.    the  christian  church.  4r 

they  accufe  him  of  nothing  lefs  than  aiming  at  the 
ruin  of  the  church,  in  conferring  benefices  on  the 
moft  unworthy  pevfons,  to  depnvc  Lhule  who 
have  merit,  which  compel  .-theni  to  appeal  to  a 
fuiuie  council,  and  ptotell  agaaiU  the  nuiJiL)',  the 
abufe  and  the  injuQice  of  all  that  (hv-uld  be  done 
againft  the  Pragmatic  fandion.  Ai  length,  howe- 
ver, the  acl  of  its  abohtion  was  re^^iilered  by  the 
parliament,  but  not  withouf;  fome  modifications, 
and  as  *•'  by  the  exprcfs  order  of  the  king,  oftm 
"  repeated,  and  in  the  prefcnce  of  an  envoy  depnr. 
*'  ed  by  the  king  for  the  purpofe."  This  was  done 
by  way  of  fignifying  their  own  ilrong  diiapproba- 
tion  of  the  atl. 


SECTION  V, 

The  Hipry  of  the  HnJfUcs. 


A- 


.T  the  time  of  the  death  of  John 
Hus  it  ^is  evident  that  a  great  majority  of  the  Bo- 
hemians, and  cfpecially  the  nobility,  .were  his 
friends,  and  they  v>'ere  exceedingly  exafperated  at 
the  condu6;  of  the  council  of  Conflance,  efpecially 
in  the  violation  of  the  fafe  condu6l  that  had  been 

given 


48  TIIE  HIS  TORY  OF        Per.   XXI. 

given  him ;  and  nothing  that  was  done  hy  the 
council,  or  the  popes  afterwards,  had  any  tendency 
to  appeafe  their  refentment.  Being  a  vyarLke  peo- 
ple, and  ha^'ing  an  able  commander  in  Zilc^.  they 
had  reconrfc  to  arms,  rather  than,  as  would  better 
have  become  chriUians,  fuffcr  perfccntion  without 
refinance. 

The  war  was  kept  up  a  long  time,,  and  Vv/'il.h  a 
degree  of  ferocity  and  cruel.ty  which  has  too,  gene- 
rally chara6l.erifed  religious  and  civil  wars.  But 
the  iffue  of  this,  as  well  as  of  f^^try  ether  fimihif 
cafe,  fbewed  that  the  caufe  of  iriiih'is  nevrr  real  y 
promoted  by  arms.  Notwithfl-anding  the  ^reat 
faccefs  oi  the  Kusfites  for  a  confideiable  time, 
their  numbers  dirnini'Jied  rather  than  increafed,  as 
it  is  probable  they  would  liave  done  by  perfecuti- 
on,  and  after  their  great  defeat  in  a.  d.  1434,  all 
who  oppofed  the  church  of  Rome  in  that  part  of 
Europe  dwindled  to  an  inconfiderable  feft  ;  and 
what  is  particularly  remaikabis,.  having  leen  the 
folly  of  having  had  reccurfe  to  arms  to  fuppcrt  iC- 
ligion,  they  as  well  as  the  Anabaptifts  aturu-ards, 
became  the  mod  peaceable; an ';^  paffive  otall  chrifli- 
3ns,  For  fuch  are  the  Moravian  brethren,  who  are 
all  that  remain  of  the  once  formidable  Hvffites.  .  It 
will  beneceffary  to  give  fome  account  cf, their  wars, 
as  well  as  of  other  particulars  in  theii;  h^ftory,  bat 

the  recital  (hall  be  as  brief  as  ppljilble. 

After 


Bcc.  V.        THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        49 

After  tlie  death  of  Has  and  Jerotn  of  Prague, 
near  five  hundred  of  their  followers  in  Bohemia 
were  fummoned  to  appear  before  the  council  ;  and 
not  attending,  they  were  declared  to  be  con  uma- 
cious.  Seeing  their  extermination  was  determi- 
ned, they  formed  an  army  of  forty  thoufand  men 
for  their  defence,  under  the  command  of  Zifca, 
who  chofe  for  the  place  of  his  c)nef  refort  a  moun- 
tain fome  miles  from  Prague,  where  they  formed 
themfelvcs  into  a  regular  body,  openly  difclaim- 
ing  the  authority  of  the  pope,  as  no  more  than  a- 
ny  other  bifhop,  rejedling  purgatory,  prayers  for 
the  dead,  the  ufe  of  images,  confeflion,  and  the 
falls  of  the  church,  and  they  communicated  in 
both  kinds.  Winceflas,  who  favoured  them,  grant* 
cd  them  the  ufe  of  feveral  churches  in  Prague. 

Martin  V,  prefently  after  his  cle6lion  in  a.  d, 
1418,  publifhed  a  bull  againft  the  Hudites,  order- 
ing tliem  to  be  delivered  to  the  fecular  arm,  and 
enjoining  all  chriftian  princes  to  afhfl  in  extermi- 
nating them.  In  this  bull  he  inferted  forty  five 
articles  of  the  do£lrinc  of  Wickliffe,  and  Has, 
condemned  by  the  council  of  Conftance,  in  which, 
he  direfted  that  all  fufpe6lcd  pcrfons  fhouldbe  ex- 
amined on  oath. 

So  far  were  the  troubles  of  Bohemia  from  be- 
ing appeafed  by   this  bull,  or  the  decrees   of  the 
council,  that  they  were  increafed,  and  that  year  the 
Vol.  V.  D  Hufsitcs 


iCf        •'  tHE  RIStGRT  OF    -;  Per.XXR 

HLiffites  v.-ere  joine*d^7  forty'' Picards/'probablf 
Waldenres'from   Picardy,    who  came    to    Prague* 
^ith  ^  their  wives   and  families.     Before   recourfe 
was  ha'd  to'open  war, a  DominiGan  was  fent  tote-* 
ciaim'the  Hiifsites  ;  but   he    foon    returned;  ancf 
^ave  it  as  his  opinion,  that  nothing"  would  reduce 
them  but  force.     This  too  was  the  opinion  of  Ger-- 
fon,  in' the  advice  that  he  gave   to-   SigifTiiotid  tlie. 
j-ear  before.      So  much  -wetcth^    HiifsiteV  ihcreafi 
cd,  thatonlhe  :i6tfi-of  April,  being  affembled' in 
the  caftleof-Vifigrade,  they  dejAited  Nicolas- dfe 
Hufsinetz  to  Winceflas,  to  requeft  the  ufe  of  more 
fchurcbes,  thofe  which  had  been  alloA^ed   them  tiot 
being  fufficient.     He  de fired  time  tf)  confider  off 
their  rcqueft,' and -at  the  expira'tionof  tlfe  time  tha:t 
he  hdd  fixedi'required  th'totQ  appear ' before  hitV?, 
imt-wtthbui'^ariiis  ;. but  bf;,ihe  advice  of   Z^ifoa, 
Vho  knew  the' timic(-tem^«rrif>f'th^  king,  they  ajS-  \ 
J^eitred  with  th&ir  ztihs.Xi^it^^y^:^^  ptifilege 
-of  t-lidr  nkti^'/aiid  id"  ihe^'^himilir^ir         ^ 

^gbf-J^^Mii cdtog^'^ird 

erefoliitityfi,  fee* di^miffed  them  with  r-favCm'rdUe  tH- 

/Tt^er.  ••        ^j_ 

•'* --'bn  the  death  of  *Wincefias,:iJ  a.  d.  i4'i'8,^- ^^iif- 
ca  and  his   followers   refufed   to  ackriowl^>ge  'hif 

« brother  Sigifmoftd;  %ing  tlvtft^?cft€r /His  H)nfent 
totheH3eathof  Jvlin;=Hus  >^M  Jfeitirrt-df  I'raf  le, 
be  was   it^wort1-i)^f  tbe  ztm^v'^^  fating  adi-ati- 


5£C,V.   .THE  .CIIRISTIAr>^  CHURCH.  5X 

tage  of  tl^<i  ^v^r  in  Jfhich  heaves  engaged   \vit;i  the 

f'ijy-ks,^t}iey  declared  War,ag2yinfl  hmi.     Nothing, 
o(W<|ver,  .appears  ^^  have  -been-  »dqne  -in  coiile- 
a\iQncc  M  thil-itii^  the  j{eai\ a .tD.  .1420^^1160.  tKcy 
defGat€d  a  body  .qI  itrpeVial-  cavaliy,  and    recover- 
ed M-^Ica,  frornwhicK  ibe  li^tsites  had  bee.n    ex- 
pelled.     On- this  th^   cmperot  fent  a    thoufantl 
lafices^  and  ihe  Ghoict^ft  of  ,hi<^  cavalry ;  but  |hey  aV 
fo  were  cut  off,  a^itJ  ii  was  witb  niucii  diScuky 
til  It;  the.corar^apclcr  of  them  .laved    bimftsif.      In 
jhisjl.i^e  of  .their,  affriirs,.  the  Ilufsil^es  c;xpe£iing  to 
^h^  att4clc«*^J  })y  qll  the  forces  of  the  ernperor,  lorti- 
,fit4  a;  platfe  to  whiich  they  eaye,  the  iiame  of  Tabor, 
^a»d.  they ,  ^tftatcd  fonie  f^rc^^ .  wjiich.the   ernperqr 
fent  tQ,!akc  it.   4 ^J.e»'  tbjs   Z ifca  made  himfelf  rnaf- 
ter  pfPragye,  and  allQ  took  Vifigrade.      .  ^   _,.  ^ 

,ci:r:>AfcC'?ut  tbt-s  tim,e  there  appeared  fpme  new-fec- 

'taries,  called  Orchtts,  whoexercired.^reat  cruelties 

on.  tbe.caiKollc  priefts,  and  Zir«:a  rc,qv;ived  them  a- 

.  m6»g\His  bU'jfl  ctToDps.  '  This  farn^ '.year ,  the,  pope 

pubh&sdia.'cruradeagainft.the  Hursifes  ;  but  the 

army  that  was  raifed  in^confequefice  of  it  deferced 

Xh  ei  r  com  ma  n  dcr '  .o.n'  [he. !  -.a  ppi*9ai:h  ci  Z.  ifca  .■     A  t 

fthe  hegeof  Pvobi  this.'yiiar,:  Zifta  Ipfl  t|ie Qnly  c>s 

hthat  he-Jtfo  had  ;  :hht  nptwithftanding  this  difad- 

-  y^ntag.e  wli,enlie  re'dlver-ed  of  the  wjound,  he  refu- 

mcd  the  corarpand  ".of  the  arniy.      . 

D  2  The 


i2  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXL 

The  emperor,  being  now  feriouily  alarmed  at 
the  progrefs  of  the  Huffites,  afierabled  the  diet  of 
the  empire  at  Nuremberg,  when  all  the  nobility 
of  Germany  agreed  to  join  their  forces  againft 
them  ;  and  accordingly  they  all  took  the  field,  ex- 
cept the  eleflor  of  Treves,  who  was  fick,  and  who 
arrived  on  the  frontiers  of  Bohemia  in  Augufl ; 
but  not  being  able  to  take  Soez,  which  they  be- 
fieged,  the  troops  deferted  in  the  month  of  O6I0- 
ber.  The  emperor  himfelf  had  not  been  able  to 
join  them,  becaufe  he  could  not  bring  his  troops 
from  Auftria  and  Hungary,  as  they  difliked  tha 
fervice,  before  December.  It  being  impofsible 
then  to  do^  any  thing,  he  propofed  a  truce ;  but 
the  HufiTites  refufed  to  agree  to  it,  except  on 
fuch  terms  as  the  emperor  would  not  admit,  viz, 
that  preaching  fhould  be  free  thro'  all  Bohemia, 
that  the  communion  fhould  be  in  both  kinds,  that 
the  clergy  fhould  have  no  pofTefsions  in  land,  or 
any  civil  jurifdidlion,  and  that  mortal  (by  which 
they  meant  public)  fins  in  any  perfon  fhould  be 
animadverted  upon. 

Shortly  after  this  the  Huffites  addrefTed  a  let- 
ter to  certain  princes,  to  juflify  themfelves  againft 
the  charge  of  rebellion,  and  in  this  they  accufed 
Sicrifmond  of  the  death  of  John  Hus^  and  of  pro-, 
moting  the  crufade  againft  them ;  profefsing  that 

they  hadrecouife  to  arms  in  the  defence  ot  their 

religion 


Sec.V.      the  christian  church.  53 

religion,  their  liberties,  and  their  lives.  Ai  the 
fame  time  they  threatened  to  adl^  hoftileiy  ngainft 
all  who  would  not  admit  of  the  four  articles  above 
mentioned.  In  this  ceffation  of  hoQilities  they 
held  a  council  in  Prague,  when  they  agreed  oti 
twenty  two  articles,  fome  of  which,  however,  occa- 
fioned  a  divifion  among  them. 

About  this  time  there  arrived  in  Bohemia  fome 
f)f  thofe  who  called  themfelves  brethren  of  the  free 
fpirii,  who  had  been  very  numerous  in  France, 
Flanders,  and  Germany,  but  ftill  more  im  Suabia 
and  Switzerland,  tho'few  of  them  efcaped  the  pur- 
fuit  of  the  inquifitors.  One  of  their  leading  prin- 
ciples was  faid  to  have  been  that  bafhfulnefs  and 
modefty  are  marks  of  inherent  corruption,  and, 
that  they  were  not  properly  purified,  till  they  could 
behold  without  emotion  the  naked  bodies  cf  the 
different  fexes ;  and  therefore  they,  fometimcs  at; 
leafl;,  frequented  public  worfliip  in  that  Hate, 
whence  they  were  called  Adamites,  and  were  univer- 
fally  and  naturally  fufpeded  of  incontinence.  Zifca 
fo  far  from  receiving  thofe  people,  fell  upon  them 
in  A.  D.  1421,  and  putting  fome  oi  them  to  the 
fvvord,  condemned  the  reft  to  the  flames,  which 
they  fuffered  with  the  greateft  fortitude.  Mo/Iieim, 
Vol.  3,  p.  274. 

It  can  hardly  be  doubted,  however,  but  that  ihefe 
people  were  no  other  than  Waldenfes,  Picards,  or 
D  3  Lollards 


.^-i'  THE  mStORY  OR        Per.  KXl 

Lo!»ar;.]s  (terms  of  the  fame  fignification)  that '-fie' 
indeceneies  they  were  charged  with  as  Adamites 
were  mere'talumnies,  arid  that  the  hue  reafoiiG^f 
Zjfca's  averfr'^n  to  them  was  th*^ir  differing  in  opi- 
iiicn  fiorii  him,  and  their  tai-ing  jiart  with  his 
chCiiries.  'They  denied  the  do£irine  of  tranfub- 
llantiation,  and  refufr^^o  adpre'th^  liofl.  Ont  of 
th(^m  being  put  to  the  tortCrt^  -faid,-  i'  It  is  not 
''  we  that  aie  in  an  error,  but  )'ou  w'ho  caufe  us  to 
*' be  burned.  Deceived  by  falfe  tedchers,  you', 
*'  pfofbate  yourfclves  before  a  creature,  a  piece  of 
'•' cdiifecrated  bread,  and  burn  incenfe  before  it,- 
'■'•  imagining  that  you  are  offering  upon  the  altar 
**  for  the  hving  and  the  dead,  the  bo(^y  of  jcfus 
**  Ghnll  whieh  js  in  heaven."  Bcaufolre  in  L'En- 
Jant's   Bafe,  Vol.  2,  p.  329.      .     ■  -• 

The  Waidtc^fes  were  in  Bohemia  in  a.  d. 
ii^8;"'anW  '  vv-tre  well  received  .af  Zaiee  and 
I.kani  x>rl'thi'ri^!erE'gfa,  near  the  frontiers- of -Min. 
r\\ii''ft6ti\-'i^hiz%.:p\^tQ'^^^^  probably  entered  Bo- 
hcmiti:  '  BeVn  Jin  g'^e^Ht  numbers  in  an  ifland  form- 
ed "b*-' thGliver  Laufuitz  near  Neuhaus,  in  the  dif- 
tria  of  53%ciiir^,'thcy  took  arms,*  and  were  defeat- 
ed" by  Zifca.-  lb.  p.  393. 

■   The 

*  L'Enfant  fays  they  joined  the  Taborites.  But  ac- 
'cordhig  to  6ther  accounts  ihe  divifion  of  the  HufiUes  rn- 
10  Orphelins  and  Tiiboritcs  did  not  take  place  till  afty: 
tSie  4-athof  Zifca.  ,.     - 


jBiEG.    V.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        em 

,-;:;XH3  fame  yeaV  viz.  a.  d.  1.421,  the  HufsUec 
'¥n'a-rl*:an  offer  of  the  crown  of  Bohemia  to  t,he 
king  of  Poknd  ;  but  he  declining  it,  they  offered 
it  to.W.ithold,  duke  of  Luthiania,  who  accepted'  c^ 
iti  and  fent  an  army  to  their  afsiftance.  But  mark- 
ing his,  peace  with  the  emperor,  he  foon  yfter 
^abandoned  them  ;  when  they  were  again  left  lo 
themfelves  ;  but  they  had  no  more  occafipn  for  the 
jife  of  arms  during  the  life  of  Zifca...  In  a.  ,p^. 
.1424,  the  empemr  defpairing  of  conquering^  the 
jHufsites,  propofed  a  treaty  in  vyhich  he  agre.C^ 
to  give  up  to  Zifca  not  only  the  govcrnmeiit  an^l 
the  command  of  the  forces,  but  the  revenues  of  the 
^country,  retaining  the  fovereignty  only.  Thcfe 
^erms  were  accepted,  and  prefcntly  alter,  when 
^^ifca^tV^as  going  to  wait  on  the  emperor,   he   was 

feiied  with  the  placr-ae,  and  died  October  6tb,  a!  i^. 

^     ^  ,   ..  ,     .  '>  eta} 

...,  On  the  death  of  Zifca    the    Hufsites  dividea. 

into  two  parties,  one    called  Tahorites,  command*- 

'  ed  by  Procopius,    fu-rnamed  the  Great ^  diXidifiZ  o- 

ther  ■  Orp^itiiiis   (to  'fignify  the    lofs '  thty  .  ha'd  -hi 

tlieirgreaLC«jicf  Zifca.)  who  chofe  ht'fh  chiefs  cvefy 

y<ar,  except  that  in  battle   they' were    commanded 

by  another  Procopius,  called  by  way  of  diftin^if^n 

:  irom  the  other,  the  little.     Both  parties  unjting.in 

c  a  common  caufcj.^aiid  not  obferving  the   tei;ms  ^of 

\.tb^  treaty.  that''iai«Rl  been  made  with  ^ifca,  pl^ii- 

..r,.'.  ,Dl4  .de.f'ed 


^6  THE  HIS  TORY  OF         P^r.  XXI. 

dered  the  catholic  countries  in  their  neighbour- 
hood. The  emperor  then  making  a  new  treaty 
^ith  them,  allowed  them  the  free  exercife  of  their 
religion,  till  the  meeting  of  the  council  of  Bafil. 
The  citizens  of  Prague  accepted  thefe  terms,  but 
the  army  refufing  them,  Henry  bilhop  of  Winchef- 
terxvas  fent  as  legate  in  a.  d.  1428,  and  with  an 
army,  to  fubdue  them.  But  this  army  was  beat- 
en, and  his  camp  taken.  After  this  the  Hufsites 
divided  themfelves  into  three  bodies,  and  commit- 
ted dreadful  ravages  in  Hungary,  Poland,  and 
Auilria.  * 

In  A.  D.  1430  the  Hufsites  extending  their  ra- 
vages to  Silefia  and  Mifnia,  the  pope  fent  cardinal 
Julian  at  the  head  of  an  army,  procured  by  the 
publication  of  a  fecond  crufade;  when  all  the  elec- 
tors of  the  empire,  and  all  the  princes,  ecclefiafti- 
cal  and  fecular,  promifed  to  raifc  a  powerful  army. 

The 

*  Among  the  Tabbrites  were  many  whofe  opinions 
were  very  extravagant,  and  led  to  much  mifchief.  They 
demanded  the  eredlion  of  an  entirely  new  hierarchy,  in 
which  Chrift  alone  Ihculd  reign.  Some  of  them,  as 
Martin  Loquis,  a  Moravian,  were  of  opinion,  that 
Chrift  himfelf  would  defcend  in  perfon,^  armed  with 
fre  and  fword,  to  extirpate  herefy,  and  thought  that 
they  ought  to  purfue  the  enemiefe  of  Chrift  in  the  fame 
manner.  Hence  the  dreadful  riTvages  of  which  they 
«rere  guilty*     MQshetnijYol  3,  p.  263, 


Sec.  V.        THE  CHRISTIAN  CHUR(5H.       sT 

The  army  was  raifed,  but  it  had  no  more  fuccefs 
than  the  former.  Tho'  it  confided  of  forty  thou- 
fand  German  horfe,  befides  a  numerous  infantry, 
they  fled  on  the  approach  of  the  Hufsites,  aban- 
doning their  camp  and  every  thing  in  it. 

The  emperor  dcfpairing  again  of  fuccefs  in  the 
way  of  arms,  wrote  a  foothing  letter  to  the  Hufsites, 
inviting  them  to  fend  deputies  to  the  council  ot 
Bafil  ;  and  tho'  the  Orphelins  obje6led  to  it,  it 
was  agreed  to  by  the  majority,  and  accor((ingIy  a 
fafe  conduft  being  granted  them,  tour  deputies 
were  fent,  two  from  their  clergy,  andtwo  from 
their  nobility,  who  arrived  at  Bafil  Janiary  4,  a. 
D,  1432,  and  were  received  with  gr^t  refpe6>. 
They  propofed  the  four  articles  abovementioned, 
promifing  that  if  they  were  granted,  ihey  would, 
in  every  other  refpeft,  conform  to  the  catholic 
(church.  They  were  permitted  to  Argue  at  large 
in  defence  of  all  their  articles,  and  Aere  anfwered 
by  the  members  of  the  council,  thfdifcufsion  con- 
tinuing from  January  16,  to  Mai^hS;  whtn,  re- 
ceiving no  fatisfa£lion,  the  dep/ties  returned  to 
Prague,    accompanied  by  aml^ffadors  from   the 

council.  / 

/ 

Tliefe  ambaffadors  were  ^ceived  with  much 
refpeft,  and  employing  the^  addrefs  in  concert 
with  Maynard,  a  Bohemiai  nobleman,  they  fuc- 

D  5  ceeded 


53  TEE  HISTORY  OF         PerVIXXI. 

tted&d:  in  fowing  "divifions  among  the    Hufsites, 
.and  incjuced  the  count  of  Piir.l>ii  to    revolt  from 
thcn!^.  -..Prefently  after  this',-  fhey  were  driven  out 
of  Piagiiie,  and  a  battle  being  fbaght  in  a.  b.  1434, 
on  tie  oSave  of  the  feflival  6f  the  holy  facranient, 
both  the  Procopius's  were"  fiaih  :  7nd   afterwards 
when  they  bad.entered  into  terms  with   their  ene- 
mies, all  the  old  -  foldiers   who  had  fought  under 
Ziiljca  Were    treacheroufly  Jiut  to  death.   .  After 
this  they  made  no  appearance  in  the^  field  ;   but  a 
treaty  b;-ing  ^entered   into  beLweeri^'them   and  the 
deputies  pf  the  counjcil;   it  cpntii:nkd  a   long  time, 
the  Hufl^es  objcfting  chiefly  to  the  ufurpatioirs  of 
the  pofTcrjons  of  the  chuich  being,  termed  facrilege. 
At  length howdvsef,' at  an^afferrtbly  held  at  Ifliw  in 
.tkv-]ff:''iii3^at  wbjdi  tbe:emperor  aiTiRcd,  tbej  gave 
'«p  three  x)f  hc;Rrilc:Ies  th^y  had  before  i-nTiltecl  upon, 
-andiCpntentd-  themfelv-cs  with  gaining-  the,  fourth, 
' which-,  was  t.e  ' corn.muifuan.  in  boih  /kinds. 
-     T-h«s.an  ei4  w.as;put.to,a  cruel  war,  which  ha^d 
^Lu^at^dtiic  ounttyr-twjeaty:  two.  years.     But  ithe 
*t)opeaftdfhe^-CQg.rt 'of  Rome  objected  to  thetcrii»s. 
^The  -H-ar^ites.  hid.  fartkcr  demanded  ot  the   coua- 
ciloi  Ba&',  that  tieir  children'  might  receive  the 
ciKl>ariil   immcdi^ely  after  bapiifm,  but    it  had 
not.been  granted  tothem.     Oir  thefc  accounts  the 
fcbifjTEi,  tho*  not  the  «ar,  waS:  .rcilewcd  by  .  a  ccnfl- 
derable  number  of  tie  -i&^^f#4s'  wlio'publiflied 
',.,#'  forty 


Stc.'A^.'^^-   THE  CHRISTIANC  HURCH.        S9 

forty    f»'3   articles   of  a    new   confeffion    of  iheir 
faith. 

In  A.  D.  1448  pope  Nicolas  fcnt  a  legatcinto 
BohetTiia,  but  he  hefitating  to  fatisfy  the,  demands  of 
Rokyfan,  to  be  archbifhop  of  Pragye,  which   the 
Bbhemian.s    infilled  upon,  it    was   with.^difBgulty 
th>t  he  efcaped  out  of  the  country. .    At  this  time 
there  v^cpc  tWo  tieutoiants  in  the  .kingdom  ol  Bu- 
hemia^  NJjiynaird,   a   favourer,  of  ^he  old   religion, 
and    Petarfcon,  a  friend  of   Rokyfawv     He  d)irig 
was  fucce^ded  by  Podiebrad)  vvho.feized  uponthfe 
city  of  PraguiCj  and  p«t  Maynard  in  prifon;  wher« 
he  foon  died  ;    .Uid  being  then  fold  governor  of  the 
kingdom,  he  'jg4ve  the/arebbilhopiix:  to  -Rokyfan; 

without  W'aitii3g  for  the  bull  from  Rame. 

In  A.  D.  14  r.3  .LAdvflas,  then  thitteen  years  of 

age, .was  crowned  kui^  of.  Bohernia^acoprding  to  the 

rites  of  Jthe^c<ith^!i't^_GJ^^l'riL:  ,.  il^..^y$^  J'^fuf(pd  to 
go  into  a  church  belanginjr  to  the  HufTues,  or  to 
adT>re  the  hafl  that  w:a]?4^rr:ie5J  beibie;R.pkyfan;  He 
difcovcrcd  a  fliii  greater  ayerfion,  to  th,e  .Huflites 
after  his  return  tO:t,he  kjiigi'lckm,  igi  a.^-d.  1457,  juft 
before  his  intended  marr^agti  witjajf  da^ighter  of  the 
king  of  France;,  and  as.  he  pref^ntly  af^er .  this 
.died  of'  pojfonj,  his  death  vvas  generaH)^  imputed 
cither  to  Rpky fan,  or    Podipbrad*jWhofe   interefl 

it 

*  This  name. is  written  by  F lei^ry  and  others  iro- 

gcbracj  and  under  Ins  e£igies  in  L'Euiaiit's  HiUoryJt 


00  THE  HISTORY  OF         Pkb.  XXI. 

it  was  that  a  prince  fo  zealous  for  the  catholic  re- 
ligion fliould  not  be  their  king. 

On  his  death,  Podiebrad  was  elcfted  king  of 
Bohemia ;  and  finding  it  neceffary  to  gain  the  al- 
legiance of  the  catholics,  he  took  advantage  of  the 
divifions  among  the  Huflites,  and  exterminated  the 
greateft  part  of  them.  On  the  defeat  of  their  army, 
the  two  parties  before  mentioned  had  ceafedi 
but  they  had  feparated  a  fecond  time,  and  the 
Calixtins,  being  the  ftronger,  had  feized  upon  the 
city  of  Tabor.  Being,  however,  perfuaded  to 
fend  deputies  to  a  general  aflembly  of  all  the  Huf- 
fites,  and  abide  by  the  refolutions  of  the  majo- 
rity, they  were  condemned,  and  Podiebrad  upon 
their  refufing  to  comply  with  the  articles  agreed 
upon,  marched  againft  them,  and  befieging  them 
in  Tabor,  not  only  took  the  place,  but  it  is  faid 
cut  them  all  ofF  to  a  man,  and  demolifhed  the  for- 
tifications. 

Podiebrad  alfo  compelled  all  the  Maniche- 
ans,  or  thofe  who  pafled  for  fuch,  to  become 
catholics  or  leave  the  country.  About  two 
thoufand  of  them  were  baptized,  but  more  than 
four  hundred  thoufand  retired  to  Stephen  duke  of 
Bofnia,  a  Manichean  like  themfclves.  The  bi- 
fbop  of   Neva  fent  three  principal   chiefs  of  the 

fea 
is  Podibraski.  I  hare  given  the  name  as  I  find  it  ia 
L'Enfant's  Hiftory. 


Sec.V.      the  christian  church.  61 

fe€i  in  chains  to  the  pope,  who  put  them  into  a 
monaftery,  to  be  inflrufted  in  the  principles  of  tho 
catholic  faith,  and  then  fent  them  back  to  the  king, 
Fleury,  Vol.  23,  p.  123. 

The  people  here  called  Manicheans  were  pro- 
bably no  other  than  Waldenfes,  or  fuch  as  going 
by  the  appellation  of  Adamites  were  put  to  death 
by  Zifca. 

It  was  not  to  be  expefted  that,  in  an  age  io 
enlightened  as  this,  and  when  opinions  were  fo 
much  difcufled,  all  the  Bohemians  fhould  confine 
themfelves  within  tho  limits  of  the  firfl  reform  by 
John  Hus,  or  the  Calixtins.  Great  numbers  foon 
cxprefTed  a  wifh  for  a  farther  reformation.  At  the 
head  of  them  was  Gregory  Rokyfan's  filler's  fon, 
and  not  being  able  to  gain  Rokyfan  himfelf  for 
their  head,  they,  by  his  advice,  and  afliftance,  with- 
drew to  a  place  in  the  lordlhip  of  Letitz  near  Leu- 
tomifchel,  between  Silefia  and  Moravia,  which  had 
been  laid  wafte  by  the  ravages  of  war,  and  there 
they  regulated  their  worfliip  according  to  their 
own  ideas,  Crantz,  p.  21.  This  ihey  carried  into 
execution  about  the  year  a.  d.  1453;  »nd  in  a. 
D.  1457,  they  had  digefted  their  fcheme  of  church- 
governmem,  and  at  firft  called  themfelves  brethren 
of  the  law  of  Chrijl ;  but  being  afterwards  joined 
by  others,  who  had  formed  fimilar  plans,  they 
took  the  name  of  Unitai  JFratrum,  or    the  United 

brethren 


JC>2  THE  HISrORYpF     -,P£nrxXV 

irethrcn,  dnd^ Xhc^ kW  agreed  nevfertodtfer.d.thcin"- 
ffelves  by  arms,  bufQTi  y  by  player,' and  reafonaj^ijk 
reTnonilrances.ai?jiiT{t' their  eneiTifes.  \^.-  .j 

Their  bumbtr    inc!-ei!{iiT;g,   thcj.  wer.e  exprjt^ 

'tcr  great    caladiity  and  perfecuiion,  neither  Roky- 

fin,  northe  king,  chufing  .to.-patr6n:ze:  them.  '  B^- 

ing  declared  outi«iv\'s,  ti^feyUwVre:  diiven  from  th^r 

habitaiions  in  the   depth  of  winter,    and  .jRany^  j5C 

'therri'diSd-in'tifiron."  All  the  antilogies. they  ad- 

drefTrd  to  the  king,  or  the  ftate*,  only  ferved  to^gjX- 

afpera'te  therri,   and  the  peifecufion  did  npt  ab%Je 

"till  the  deathof  Pbdifebrad,  in  a.  d.  1471.     Some 

time -Before  this  Rdkyran  hid  died,  thiey  fay  ia  dif- 

^air.- 

iP^'odiebrad,.    defirous    to    recommend  liimfdf 

to   his  catholic  fubjecls,    al^^ays   communicated  in 

"both  kinds,    and   was   at  enmity,  with  Pius  lias 

long  as    he   lived;  but  having  punifhedfomejca- 

thoiidSjbn  the  charge  of  treafon.in  a;5 pi.  114.665. he 

^  ivns  excommbniGated,   and  his   fubjefts*  a,bfolved 

■  from  the jr  oath  of  airirgiance:      His  crown  w.ts  fii-ft 

*  ofiFeredlti*  Cafiraer  king  of  Poland;  but.  he  not 

♦  chufin(f'tof  contend  with  Ppdiebrad,  'who\Vas,fup- 
portecP  %y-  feVefal  of  the  princes  of  .GertEtiny^^it 
was  off^leci  to  Matihias^king  of  Tlnpiga^y,  who;^E 

■  firfl  ciUb  'detlihied  it,  but'was  uittr^vards.,.  en.(JQw- 
"  laged  tni 'engage  with  Podicbrad,  the  cadibhc3,in 
'  Bohemia  dtfciurin'g  for  him.     Ilowevir,  f gor?;  aftjer 

this 


Seg.V.    *  the   CRRICTUN  church*  63 

this  GafitnerjAv'it-li  ahe"  confent  of  Podi'ebrad,  per- 

fciUud;,.hi**  tWn  Uiadifltis  t6  be  appointed  h'isfucr 

cefTor,'   and-tfa©'  Ahc  -jJopc  ¥efu(cd  to  confirm   the 

cTyotce,  helacGa^HntC-fcihg  of  Boheiuia.    • 

■'"'  -^rFf<>i^l'Jg,;;t474*'tli€'Ca}ixfins  revolted fr-qm  UlaV 

(dlflasj-^hd'itv  13.  b.'i^^^,  they  .dioye  the  catholics 

oat  of '  Pt-ague.     They  alfo'  compelled  the  fnoni;:s 

to  It&ye  tlie  city,  and-deIlroy<?d  the  mofipiReiieSj:  the 

king  not  being  able  t9  refi.S;:|iiem.-    .  ■<       ,-  •  /  "    j 

-  .  Ia\tbe  reigii  oit  >lJlatiiflas  the  united. brethren 

■for   the  jsiofl;  .pai't  c^^o-fQ^ipestti,  'iho'  f(^v«rai  2ktr 

tempts  -were  made-toe^fcite  ^im  to  perGgd^e  them  ; 

stnd  irr  -A.*D.  -i^^Si   they/weie  banifed  ft-Olp  Mq- 

-raVia,-  Lufatia,  anji  Sil^fia^it^Klh  ha^'^eeh  ferzed 

*by-MatUiiaS'kiag;of -fliSfegaVy  ;  .andj^^^ 

♦wc^nt"  as  iar i^jI^  jJ^ltSldavja'i ;  aji^-.  :tleing  :;tafe«h  by   the 

'  Ta^rta^s-tV^fl' letdcd  n«ar  mount  .Gaucafiis.b^'ond 

■  ihe  Gai^n.fca;.  .tAtthis  :trme,'haifrey^r,,  die  bre- 
thren jii^  Bohemia-  werenob*  moleftcd.  '  Buttlicy 

'  weii'  vO^foj^nnditclf  cUvidtd  among  ■  ih^mfclvc.^  ; 
foj[Ti'^  of-  tlii^ni  ■  b<?cc^iTfiog  anaV'iiptift's,'  fknd  accufin.g 

■  othei^s  of;  dffi^t»s'Si^u,frriV-the  iliwe;  .•  fl^his  brought: 
on  them  a  gvieVoas;  peFfecutioii,  vvhich,  however, 
did-ndt^lfeffe-n  their  numbers  ;^ arid  at  the  begin- 
ingof  the  fixtecrith  century  thert  were  two  hun- 
dred eongregaLions:ortliem  in  Bohemia  and.Mo- 
r^i'iii ; .^vhen  many  men  of  learning,  and  forne 
pi'.icfts'Of  the^Ciilixtins  joined  them.  ,  They  w^e 

alfo 


6*  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXL 

alfo  joined  by  fcveral  lords,  who  built  places  of 
worftiip  for  them  in  the  towns  and  villages,  the 
churches  being  in  pofleflTion  of  the  Galixtines.  Be- 
ing thus  happily  at  reft  from  perfecution,  and  hav- 
ing learned  men  among  them,  they  pubhflicd  a 
tranflation  of  the  fcriptures  into  the  Bohemian  or 
Schlavonian  tongue,  at  firft  only  from  the  vulgatc 
latin,  but  in  a  later  period  from  the  languages  in 
which  they  were  written. 

Having  an  idea  of  the  tranfmiflion  of  epifcopal 
powers  trom  the  apoftlcs,  and  fuppofing  that  the 
bifhops  of  the  Waldenfes  were  regularly  defcend- 
c^  from  the  earlieft  times,  they  got  their  firft  bifh- 
ops ordained  by  them  ;  having  firft  chofen  thcni 
by  folemn  prayer,  and  the  cafting  of  lots.  This 
was  done  at  a  fynod  held  by  them  at  Lhoten  in 
A.  D.  1467.  In  A.  D.  1504  they  prefented  to 
Uladiflas  a  confeffion  of  their  faith,  in  which  they 
acknowledged  the  three  creeds.  When  the  king 
forbad  their  affemblies,  and  ordered  them  to  join 
either  the  Catholics,  or  the  Calixtins,  they  pre- 
fenfed  another  remonftrance,  explaining  fome  of 
their  principles,  but  without  any  effefl. 

In  A.  D.  1509  one  Auguftin  drew  up  a  letter 
in  the  king's  name  in  anfwer  to  their  remonftrance, 
and  to  this  they  published  a  reply,  in  which  they 
rejeQed  ths  do£lrine  of  tranfubftantiation,  the  a- 
doration  of  the  virgin  Mary,  and  ether  faints,  and 

purgatory 


Sec.  Vh    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  65 

purgatory  ;  feeming  rather  to  approve  of  the  opi- 
nion of  the  antients,  of  the  yiil  being  purified  by 
Tire  before  the  day  of  judgment,  and  that  fouls 
do  not  enter  into  happinefs  till  the  refurre6lion. 
They  faid  they  won!d  fuUinit  to  nnv  mere  exter- 
nal ordinances,  if  they  could  do  it  without  fin, 
fuch  fts  the  obfervance  of  feftivals,  fafls,  and  ©thcr 
things  of  an  indifFL-rent  nature  ;  but  not  thofe 
which  encouraged  idolatry,  and  fuperftiLion. 


SECTION  VI. 

Of  the  Attempts  to  unite  the  Greek  and  Latin 
Churches. 


iliNDEAVOURS  to  promote  <he  u- 
nion  of  the  Grecli.  and  Latin  churches,  make  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  ecelefialiical  hi  (lory  of  this 
pcviod,  as  well  as  of  fevcral  of  the  former.  The 
Gretk  emperars,  being  in  general  lefs  attached  to 
t](e  religion,  an4  (landing  in  great  need  of  the 
alMance  of  the  chnftians  of  the  VVefl,  in  their 
wars  with  the  Mahometan  powers,  frequently  wifli- 
ed  for*fuch  an  t;.nicn;  and  (he  popes,  tho'  having 
jiitle  coriccrn  iar  thciatc.rf.il  of  icligicn,   were  de- 

VoL.  V.  E  firous 


66  THE  HISTORY  OF  Pxr.  XXI. 

firous  of  extending  their  authority  over 'the  whole 
chriftian  world.  But  they  being  unwilling  to 
give  up  any  article  of  what  was  called  the  catholic 
faith,  and  the  Greeks  in  general  being  as  obllinate 
on  their  fide,  every  attempt  to  reconcile  them,  how- 
ever promifing  in  the  negotiations  of  a  kw,  al- 
ways mifcarrifcd  when  a  general  confent  became 
neceflary, 

Manuel  Paleologus  II,  as  well  as  the  patriarch 
Euthymius,  feem  to  have  had  no  obje6lion  to  rc- 
receive  the  catholic  faith,  and  his  fuccpflbr  Jofepb, 
who  had  been  the  metropolitan  of  Ephefus,  having 
the  fame  difpofition,  he  applied  to  Martin  V  for 
leave  to  marry  one  of  his  fons  to  a  catholic  prin- 
cefs.  To  this  no  objeftion  was  made,  and  in 
A.  D,  1419,  John  ibeoldefl;  of  his  fons,  was  marri- 
ed to  Sophia,  the  daughter  of  the  marquis  ofMont- 
ferrat,  and  was  aflociated  with  his  father  in  the  em- 
pire. In  order  to  obtain  the  afliftance  of  the  La- 
tins, thefe  two  emperors  refumed  the  projeft  of  the 
union  of  the  two  churches,  and  propofed  to  carry  it 
into  execution,  in  a  council  to  beheld  at  Conftan- 
tinople  for  that  purpofe.  The  pope,  entering  in- 
to their  views,  fent  legates  to  make  preparation  for 
it,  and  promifed  to  fend  the  affiflance  they  had  ap- 
plied for. 

But  the  cardhial  of  St.  Angelo  being  fent  in  a. 
D.    1420  to    Confiantinople,  on   this  bufinefs,  in- 

fiaed 


S'C.VI.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  6? 

fitted  upon  the  Greeks  accepting  the  intire  creed 
of  the  church  oi  Rome;  and  as  the  emperor  and 
his  prelates  wou'd  onlvTay  that  they  would  be  de- 
termined in  this  refpeft  by  the  refult  of  the  coun- 
cil, which  theftate  ot  their  aflFairs  would  not  per- 
mit being  called  immediately,  all  further  proceed- 
ings in  the  bufinefs  were  at  that  time  difcontinued.' 
But  much  farther  progrefs  was  made  in  the  fuccted- 
ing  reign  of  John  Paleologus. 

This  emperor  being  prefTed  by  the  Turks,  and 
getting  no  afliftance  from  the  emperor  Sigifmond, 
applied  to  Martin  V  in  a.  d.  1430,   who  recom- 
raended  the  council  of  BaGl,  which  was  fummoned 
for  the  year  followin,£f,  infteadof  that  which  had  been 
propofed  [at    Conflantinople  ;  promifing  to  defray 
the  expences  ofthe  Greeks  who  fliould  attend  itj  and 
to  this  the  Greek  emperor,  not  being  able  to  do  better, 
confented.  But  the  death  of  the  pope  threw  difficul- 
ties in  the  way  of  the  fcheme.      H:s  fuccefTor,  Eu- 
genius,  not  having  the  fame  friendly   difpofition, 
and  the  Greeks  in  general  difcovering   a  great    a- 
verfiontothe  union,  the  Greek  ambalfadors  return- 
ed to  Conflantinople.     The  treaty    was,  however, 
renewed,  and  the  Greeks   fending   ambaffadors  to 
Bafil,  they  were  received  with  much  honour.     But 
d>.puties    being    fent   by   the   council    in   return, 
found  the  Greeks  but  ill  difpofed  to  the  union,  and 
particularly    offended  at  a  decree  of  the  council, 
in  which  mention  was  made  of  the  antient  hercjy  cf 
£  3  tfie 


6S  THE  HISTORY  OF*        Pir.  XXI. 

the  Greeks.  After  much  difficulty,  the  Greeks 
conicnted  that  the  council  fliould  be  held  in  fome 
fe.apoit  of  Italy,  the/  they  had  confented  to  meet 
at  Baiil,  the  pope  having  thwartcd^the  negociation 
of  the  council,  which  he  thought  took  too  much 
upon  it  in  the  bufinefs. 

Ambaliadors  both  fiorn  the  pope  and  the 
council  were  fent  to  Conftantinople  at  the  fame 
time,  and  gallies  to  take  the  charge  of  the  Greeks. 
Bbt  thofe  of  the  pope  arriving  the  firll,  the  emper- 
ov  and  his  fuite  chofe  to  embark  in  them.  Befides 
the  emperor  himfelf,  there  was  Dermetrius  one  of 
his  brothers,  the  patriarch  of  Conftantinople,  me- 
tropolitans, bifhops,  abbots,  in  all  feven  hundred 
perfons,  with  powers  from  the  patriarchs  of  Anti- 
och,  Alexandria,  and  Jerufalem.  They  arrived 
at  Venice  the  8th  of  February  a.  d.  1438,  and 
thence  proceeded  to  Ferrara,  where  they  were  re- 
ceived by  the  pope  with  much  ceremony. 

Before  any  regular  feflions  were  held  at  this 
council  of  Ferrara,  there  were  feveral  congregati- 
ons, in  which  the  five  following  articles  were  dif- 
cufred,  viz.  the  proceffion  of  the  holy  fpirit,  the 
addition  of  flioque  to  the  creed,  purgatory,  and 
the  flate  of  the  dead  before  the  day  of  judgment, 
the  ufe  of  unleavened  bread  in  the  eucharift,  and 
the  fupremacy  of  the  church  of  Rome.  Thefefsi- 
or^s  were  deferred  fix  months  becaufe  the  ambafTa- 

dors 


Sec,  Vr.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        Gp 

dors  from  the  princes  of  Europe  did  not  attend, 
being  direfted  to  continue  atiBafil. 

On  the  fubjedl:  of  purgatory,  with  tvhich  the 
private  conferences  began,  the  Greeks  themfelves 
could  not  agree  ;  and  the  firft  article  that  was  re- 
gularly difcufied  was  the  addition  to  the  creed,  on 
which  the  fpeeches  were  very  long,  the  Greeks  in- 
filling on  the  impropriety  of  making  any  addition 
to  it,  and  the  Latins  maintaining  that  tvhat  they 
had  done  was  not  by  way  of  addition,  but  only  of 
explanation.  They,  therefore,  prcpofed  to  diCcufs 
the  quellion  o[  tlit  p^oceji on,  lince,  according  as 
that  was  determined,  the  addition  to  the  creed 
might  be  retained  or  rejetled. 

In  this  flate  of  things  the  council  was  transferr- 
ed  to  Florence,  where  the   debates  were  refumed, 
and  continued  till  the  5th  of  June,    the    emperor 
earneflly  wifliing  for  an  agreement,  and  a    majori- 
ty  of  the  prelates  being  alfo    inclined   to  it,  but 
Mark    of  Ephefus   flrenuoufly   oppofcd    it.       /\t 
length,  however,  the  following  form  of  a  confeiTion 
of  faith  was  agreed  on,   '*  The  holy  fpirit   is   eter- 
**  nally  from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  from  all 
*'  eternity  proceeded  from  them  both,  as  from,  one 
"  fole  principle,  and  by  one  fole  production,  call- 
*'  ed  fpiration  ;  (he  Son  having   received  from  the 
"  Father  from  all  eternity  that  produtlive   virtue, 

E  4  *'by 


ro  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXt 

*'  by  which  the  holy  fpirit  proceeds  from  the  Son 
"  as  from  the  Father." 

It  was  foon  agreed  that  leavened  or  unleaven- 
ed bread  might  be  ufed  in  the  eucharift.  They 
agreed  alfo  that  there  is  a  purgatory,  and  that  it 
was  indifferent  in  what  the  pains  of  it  confifted, 
whether  (ire,  or  darknefs,  temped,  or  any  thing 
elfe.  On  the  fubjed  of  the  fupremacy  of  the  church 
ct  Rome  there  was  more  difficulty.  At  length, 
however,  the  Greeks  acknowledged,  that  the  bilhop 
of  Rome  was  the  fovereign  pontiff,  and  vicar  of 
Jefus  Chrift,  who  governs  the  church  of  God,  fav- 
ing  the  privileges  and  rights  of  the  patriarchs  of  the 
Eafl.  Agreeably  to  this,  a  folemn  aft  of  union 
was  drawn  up,  and  figned  the  6th  of  July  a.  d. 
1439.  The  pope,  however,  did  not  give  the 
Greeks  leave  to  celebrate  the  eucharift  in  public, 
left  fomeoffhcir  rites  fliould  be  [fuch  as  he  could 
not  approve  ;  and  on  the  other  hand  they  would 
not,  ai  the  requeft  of  the  pope,  choofe  another  pa- 
triarch, in  the  place  of  Jofeph,  who  died  at  Fio- 
rence,  to  be  confirmed  by  himfelt,  but  deferred 
the  ek'Slion  till  their  return  to  Conllantinople, 
which  was  the  iftof  February  a.  d.  1440. 

The  reception  of  the  emperor  and  his  prelates, 
on  their  return  from  the  council,  was  by  no 
iTicans  fuch  as  they  wifhed.  The  gieat  body  of 
the  clergy  regarding  them  with  abhorrence,    would 

not 


3ec.  VI.         THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      Vi 

not  admit  thofe  of  the  clergy  who  had  fabfcribed 
to  the  union  to  any  ecclefiailical  fun6lion5'.  The 
The  monks  were  more  particularly  irritated,  and 
excited  the  people  againll  them.  Wherever  they 
went  they  wereinfulted  as  traitors  to  their  religion, 
and  apoftales,  and  by  way  of  reproach  called  azy- 
mites ;  while  Marc  of  Ephefus  was  extolled  to  the 
ficies,  as  the  only  defender  of  the  true  religion,  and 
who  alone  had  the  courage  to  maintain  the  honor 
of  the  Greek  church  againfl.  the  Latins.  In  this 
ftate  of  things  he  had  a  great  advantage  in  writing, 
as  he  and  feveral  others  did,  againfl:  the  union; 
and  tho'  it  was  ably  defended  by  BefFarion  and  o- 
thers,  their  v/ritings  had  no  effeft  on  the  people  in 
general.  Few  would  attend  divine  fervicc,  even 
with  the  emperor  himfelf,  and  in  fome  churches  his 
name  was  left  oui  of  the  diptychs.  The' one  of 
the  deputies  who  had  fabfcribed  to  the  union  was 
made  patriarch,  and  the  pope  fent  a  legate  to  Con- 
flantinople  to  aft  va  concert  ivith  him,  all  they 
could  do  was  of  no  avail  ;  and  the  emperor  him- 
felf, expe6ling  little  afsilhmee  from  the  Weft,  and 
dreading  a  revolt  of  his  own  fubjeds,  became  in- 
different about  enforcing  the  union,  and  of  this  thev 
p'jpe  complained. 

Tho'   Metrcphancs,    whom   the  emperor  had 

made   patriarcli  of  Conftantinople,  favoured   the 

union,  and  advanced  the  favourers  of  it  to  all  the 

E  4  ccclefiaf- 


rs  THE  HISrOP.Y  OF         Veil  XXI. 

ccciefiaflicai  dignities  that  became  vacant,  great 
and  general  complaints  were  made  of  it.  The  pa- 
triarchs ot  Alexandria,  Antioch  and  Jerulalem,  all 
publifhed  fy nodical  letters,  pronouncing  fentenoes 
of  dcpofition  againfl,  thole  v.rhom  he  had  ordain- 
ed, and  fexcdrnmunicating  them  if  they  perfilled 
in  cKerciuDg  their  ecckhaflical  fundions.  They 
alfo  wrote  to  the  emperor,  threatening  him  with 
excommunication,  if  he  proteded  Melrophanes, 
and  adhued  to  the  Laiin  church. 

In  Rufsia  the  news  ©f  this  union  was  as  ill 
received  as  in  Greece  ilCelf.  There  the  legate  111- 
dorc  whom  the  pope  fent  to  announce  it,  was  ap- 
prehended as  a  {"educe  r,  and  apoftate,  who  had 
had  fold  them  to  the  Latins,  He  tbund  means, 
hc'.vtver,  to  efcape  out  of  prifon,  before  they  pro- 
ceedcdany  farther  iJgainliliJm. 

After  the  great  defeat  of  the  chriilian  powers 
at  the  battle  of  Varna,  the  Greek  trnpcror,  having 
no  expe8ation  of  afsiiiance  jfrcm  the  Weft,  faid 
nothing  more  about  the  union  oi  the  two  churches, 
or  ofh-s  league  with  the  Latins. 

When  ti^e  affairs  of  the  Greeks  wore  an  un- 
promihng  afpedt,  by  the  near,  approach  of  the 
Turks  to  Conllantinople,  pope  Nicolas  addreffed 
a  letter  to  them  ;  urging  them  to  confirm  the  uni- 
on of  the  churches,  and  in  conuqueiicc  of  this  ;he 
cmperror  Ccnilantine  fent  arabi^lladors  to   Rome, 

requclting 


Sec. VI.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  fS 

requefting  the  pope  to  fend  feme  able  pcrfons 
to  aflitl  ill  the  redii^lion  of  the  rchifmatics  ; 
when  cardinal  liidore,  a  Greek,  was  fent,  and 
was  received  by  the  erripevor,  and  a  fmall  num- 
ber of  prelates,  December  12,  a.  d.  1451.  But 
this  meafure  ojily  increafed  the  obSinacy  of 
the  Greeks  in  general  ;  and  when  the  cardinal 
performed  mafs  in  the  church  of  St.  Sophia,  the 
monk  Gennadius,  being  applied  to  by  the  citi- 
zens vvho  ran  in  a  tumult  to  his  cell,  without  go- 
ing out  of  it  affixed  to  his  door  a  writing,  in 
which  he  denounced  the  greateft  miferies  on  thof^j 
ivho  received  what  he  called  the  impiou>  decree 
of  the  union  ;  on  which  priefts,  abbots,  monks, 
nuns,  foldiers,  and  citizens,  in  Hiort  perfon-s  of  all 
defcriptions,  except  a  fmall  part  of  the  fenate,  and 
thofe  about  the  court,  particularly  devoted  to  the 
empsror,  began  to  cry  out  with  one  voice,  "  A- 
"  tbema  to  thofe  vvho  are  united  to  the  Latins." 
They  would  not  fo  much  as  enter  the  church  of 
St.  Sophia,  confidering  it  as  prophaned,  and  a- 
voided  all  thofe  who  had  affiflcd  at  ths  f^rvice  in 
it,  as  excommunicated  pcJ Ions,  refufin^  them  ab- 
folution,  or  entrance  into  their  churches. 

Two  years  after  this  Cunftantinople  was  taken 

by  Mahomet    II;   and   liidore,  vvho  was   in  the 

city  at  the  fiege,  was    taken  prilbner,    but   had  the 

addrcfs  to  make    his  efcape.       He  was  the    fame 

E  5  perfoa 


74  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXI. 

perfon  who  had  been  fent  to  RufTia  to  eftablifh 
the  Latin  fervice  there,  and  had  been  thrown  into 
prifon  as  a  fchifmatic. 

Mahomet  gave  the  chriftians  leave  to  chufe 
their  patriarchs,  as  they  had  done  under  their 
former  emperors,  retaining  the  power,  which  they 
had  had,  ot  confirming,  that  is,  dire6ling,  their 
choice.  By  his  order  they  chofe  G.  Scholarius, 
who  had  declared  for  the  union  of  the  churches, 
and  the  emperor  afterwards  paying  him  a  vilit, 
requefled  him  to  explain  to  him  the  principles  of 
the  chrillian  religion,  which  it  is  faid  that  he  did 
in  fo  able  a  manner  as  greatly  ftruck  him,  and 
made  5^  him  more  favourable  to  the  chriilians 
than  he  had  been  before.  This  patriarch,  not  be- 
ing able  to  engage  the  Greeks  to  embrace  the  uni- 
on, quitted  his  preferment  after  he  had  held  it  five 
years,  and  retired  to  a  monaflcry. 

There  was  no  abatement  of  the  antipathy  of 
the  Greeks  to  the  Latins  in  this  period.  In  a.  d. 
1509,  the  patriarch  of  Condantinople  excommu- 
nicated Arfenius,  archbilliop  of  Malvafia  in  the 
Morea,  which  was  then  in  the  poireffion  of  the 
Venetians,  and  all  who  had  been  ordained  by  him, 
becaufe  he  had  fubmitted  to  the  church  of  Rome. 
Arfenius  fled  to  Rome,  and  complained  to  the 
pope,  who  wrote  to  the  Venetians  on  the  fubjeCl, 
,defiring  them  to  oblige  the  Greeks  to  make  fatis- 

fd£licn 


Sec.  VI.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        re 

faftion  for  the  injury  ;    but  the  Venetians  were  in 
dangfrr  in  making  ihe  attempt. 

On  the  fame  principle  on  which  the  apparent 
union  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches  was 
brought  about,  feveral  ot  the  eaftern  fc6laries  were 
induced  to  fubmit  to  ihe  fee  of  Rome  ;  but  in  all 
the  cafes  it  was  the  a6l  of  a  few,  and  had  no  effv;6l 
with  the  great  mafs  ot  the  people. 

After    the    union  of  the    Greek    and    Latia 
churches  was  determined  upon  at   Florence,   Con- 
flantinc,  patriarch  of  the  Armenians,  fent  letters  to 
Modena,  and  four  deputies,  to  whom  the  pope  ex- 
plained the  articles  of  the  cathohc  faith,  and  efpeci- 
ally  the  dodrine  of  the  council  of  Chalcedon,  and 
others  which  the  Armenians  had  hitherto  rejcQed, 
and  all  the  feven  facraments.  All  thefe  they  agreed  to 
receive,  and  the  decree  of  their  union  with  the  church 
of  Rome  pa  fled  the  22dot  November,  a.  d.  IJ39. 
In  A.  D.  1440  the  Jacobites    fent  deputies  to 
Florence,  and  were  united  to  the  Roman  church. 
Pope  Eugenius  addrefled   letters  to  their  patriarch 
John,whc/apoligized  for  his  own  non  attendance  at 
the  council,  on  account  of  his  poverty  and  infirmi- 
ties, but  fent  a  legate  with  pov/erto  agree  to  the  u- 
nion.  Accordingly,  he,  in  the  rameof  his  principal, 
accepted  a  long  conftitution,   in  which   the  pope 
defended  the  catholic  faith,   in  oppolition    to    the 
errors  of  the  Eutychians.      Complimentary  letters 

were 


76  THE  HIS  TORY  O  Per.  XXI. 

wcrealfo  received  from  the  king  of  Ethiopia;  and 
Philotheus  the  patriarch  of  Alexandria,  in  praife 
of  the  union,  but  the  whole  ended  in  words. 

In  A.  D.  1444  the  chriftians  of  Mefopotamia 
fent  Abdalla,  the  archbilliop  of  EdefTa,  -to  Rome, 
to  fignify  their  acceptance  of  the  cathoHc  faith  ; 
and  pope  Eugenius  affembling  a  council,  as  a  con- 
tinuation of  that  of  Florence,  pafTed  a  decree  of 
the  union  of  the  Syrian  Church  with  that  of 
Rome. 

The  fame  year  fome  Chaldeans  or  Nellorians 
and  Maronites  fent  deputies  to  Rome,  to  acknow-. 
ledge  the  catholic  faith,  and  they  were  received  in 
the  fame  council.  But  this  alfo  had  no  efFeft  in 
the  Eaft,  where  they  continued  as  remote  fiom  the 
church  of  Rome  as  ever. 

In  A.  D.  1460  Pius  11  received  a  deputation 
from  the  patriarchs  of  Antioch,  Alexandria,  and 
Jerufaiem,  promifing  obedience  to  the  fee  of 
Rome,  according  the  council  of  Florence,  which 
they  faid  had  been  agreed  to,  in  an  alfcmbly  con- 
voked for  the  purpofe. 

In  A.  D.  1496  Conflantine,  king  of  the  Geor- 
gians, fent  a  deputation  to  pope  Alexander  VI, 
acknowledging  him  to  be  the  vicar  of  Chrifl;,  and 
to  requell  that  he  would  oblige  the  catholic  prin- 
ces to  jointhofeof  the  Eafl  againil  the  Mahosne- 
tans.     He  alfo  defired  him  to  fend  him  the  decreesi 

of 


Sec.  VII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  rr 

of  the  council  of  Florence,  which  condemned  the 
errors  of  the  Greeks.  The  pope  received  the  de- 
puties with  much  joy,  and  promifed  every  thing 
in  his  power. 

Before  this,   viz.  in  a.  d.    1478,  the  queen  of 
Bofnia   dying,   left   her  dominions  to  the  fee   of 
Rome,  with  a  reveriion  to   her   fon,  if  he  fhould 
abandon  the  Turkifli  intereft  and  Mahomitanifm, 
and  return  into  the  bofom  of  the  church. 


SECTION  VIL 

Of  Various  Opinions  advanced  in  this  Period, 


T 


HE  prefent  period  abounded  with 
men  who  thought  with  great  freedom  and  acute- 
nefs,  on  many  rubjc6ts  of  theology  and  church  go- 
vernment, the  cffeds  of  which  would  have  been 
very  confpicuous,  if  it  had  not  been  tor  the  omni- 
potent authority  of  the  church  of  Rome,  which, 
wherever  it  interfered,  as  it  did  in  all  cafes  in 
which  its  intereft  v^^as  the  moft  remotely  concern- 
ed, fuppreCTed  every  thing  that  threatened  innova- 
tion. In  the  account  of  the  more  remarkable  opi- 
nions 


J-S  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXt 

nions  that  were  advanced  in  this  period,  I  fliaU  be- 
gin with  thofe  that  more  particularly  afFeded,  or 
threatened  to  affcdl,  the  court  of  Rome ;  and  the 
more  fundamental  do£lrines  of  the  church. 

In  A.  D.  1479  the  following  propofitions  of 
Peter  de  Ofma,  protelTor  of  theology  at  Salaminca, 
were  condemned  by  the  archbifhop  of  Toledo, 
after  an  examination  belore  man)'  doftors;  and 
the  condemn  tion  was  confirmed  by  pope  Sixtus 
IV.  "  Mortal  fins  may  be  effaced  by  contrition 
*'  only,  without  the  authority  of  tfie  church.  Pri- 
"  vate  confcffian  is  not  of  divin;^  right,  but  found- 
*'  edonthe  oriers  of  the  church.  The  pope  can- 
*'  not  remit  the  pains  of  purgatory.  The  church 
<«  ot  Rome  may  err  in  its  decifions.  The  pope 
**  cannot  difpenfe  with  the  orders  of  the  univerfal 
church."  It  was  remarked  that  thefe  propofiti  -^ns 
were  condemned  by  the  pope  without  particuldr 
fpecifi cation,  in  order,  as  it  was  expreffed  in  the 
bull,  that  thofe  who  knew  them  might  forget  them, 
and  thofe  who  were  ignorant  of  them  might  not 
learn  any  thing  new.  This  mode  of  condemna- 
tion indicates  an  apprehenfion  of  fuch  doclhnes 
as  thefe  recommending  themfelves  to  thofe  wh^ 
fliould  hear  of  them;  but  it  would  certainly  excite 
the  curofity  ot  many  to  know  what  the  unnamed 
propofitions  wae. 

The 


Sec.  VII.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*  79 

The  fame  year  fome  fimilar  propofitions  ofjohn 
of  Wefalia,  a  do6lor  of  theology,  and  a  preacher  at 
Worms  were  condemned  by  the  inquilitioa.  "  Hz 
*'  denied  that  bifhops  had  the  power  of  making  laws 
*'  He  maintained  that  indulgences  are  of  no  value,  and 
*' that  the  eleft  will  be  faved  iho' all  the  priefts  fliould 
"condemn them.  Jefus  Chrill, he Taid, appointed nei- 
"  therfaftsnorfeftivals,and  did  not  forbid  the  ufe  of 
**  any[kind  of  meat,  on  any  day;  holy  oil  does  not 
*'  differ  from  common  oil  ;  they  who  go  on  pilgri- 
"  mages  to  Rome  are  mad."  Some  of  his  propo^ 
fitions  have  an  humourous  turn,  as  this,  "  If  St. 
"  Peter  did  appoint  any  faft,  it  was  only  that  he 
**  might  have  a  better  fale  for  his  fifties." 

The  archbifhop  of  Mentz  wrote  to  the  univer- 
Tity  of  Heidelberg  and  Cologne,  to  defire  that 
they  would  examine  thefe  propofitions  j  and  feve- 
ral  afiemblies  were  held  on  the  fubje£t,  John  was 
publicly  interrogated,  and  after  fevcral  fubfequent 
fittings  obliged  to  retra6l  what  he  had  advanced. 
For  fome  time,  however,  he  relufed  to  do  it. 
His  examiners  were  blamed  by  many  perfons,  as 
having  proceeded  with  too  much  warmth  in  the 
bufinefs,  efpecially  as  it  was  faid  that  fome  of  the 
propofitions  might  have  been  fupported,  if  they 
had  been  properly  explained. 

In  A.    D.  1485  John   Laillier,  a  licentiate   in 
theology  at  Paris,  advanced  the  following  propofi- 
tions. 


80  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  >IXL 

tlons.     "  St.  Pefcr  did    not   receive  from    Ci>riil 
*'  more  power  than  the  other  apoftles.      All  thofe 
*'  who  compofe  the    ecclefiaftjcal   hierarchy  have 
**  received  equal  power  from  Chrifl,  even  the  cures. 
*' The  fovereign  pontifFcannot  remit  all  the    pains 
*'  due  to  fmners  by  virtue  of  his  indulgences.  Con- 
"  feffion  is  not  of  divine  right.     The    decrees   and 
**  decretals   of   the  popes   are    a    morkery.     The 
"■church  of  Rome  is  not  the  chief  ot  olhtr  church- 
"  es."     He  aifi  advanced  other  propofitions  con- 
trary to  the  authority   of  the  church,  in  favour  of 
the  marriage  of  pritfls,  aoainll   the   canonizing  of 
faints,  iafting  in  Eafter,  &c.  which  were  cenfured 
in  a  faculty  of  theology,.  June  5.  a.  d.  i486. 

Being  refufed  the  degree  of  doclor,  he  appealed 
to  the  bifhopof  Paris,  and  prefentcd  an  explanati- 
on of  fome  of  his  propofitions,  which  he  faid  were 
not  fo  ftrong  as  Tome  that  had  been  advanced  by 
Gerfon,  In  confequence  of  thefe  cenfures,  he 
was  obliged  publicly  to  rctraft  his  propofitions  ; 
and  on  this  he  was  abfolved  from  the  excommuni- 
cation which  had  been  pronounced  againfl  him, 
andreftored  to  the  pov/er  of  obtaining  the  honours 
of  the  univerfity.  The  faculty,  however,  would 
not  give  him  the  degree  oi  doHor.  The  court  of 
Rome  was  not  a  little  alarmed  on  this  ocfafion. 
Innocent  VIII  publilhcd  two  bulls,  approving  of 
the  coddemnation  of  Laillier,    forbidding  hirn  to 

preach, 


Sec.  VII.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         8^ 

preach,  making  bim  incapable  of  the  degree  of 
<lo6lor,  ani  even  prdering  him  tp  l?c  put  in  pri- 
fon. 

Confi.ier.ible   alarm   was  given  to  the  church 
hy  the  finguJar  and  bold  opinions  of  John  Pjcus 
prince  of  M;rando!a;  who  at  a  very  early  age  diU 
tinguifiied  himfclf  by   his  genius  and  writings.    In 
A.  1).  i486,  being  at  Rome,  he  propofed    fevera^ 
thefcs   refpetling  fubjt'cis  in  theology,    mafhema^ 
tics,  magic,  the  CabahUic  art,  and  natural  phiiofo- 
phy.wiiich  were  rhoughi  not  a  little  extraordinary, 
and  feveral  of  them  were  faid  to  be  heretical,      lie 
published  a  defence  of  them;  but  the  pope  forbad 
ih^erciidjng.of  his  thefcs  under  pain  ofexcommuni- 
eatioji,  axid  eked  Picu?  to  appear  before  him.  Howe- 
ver nothi-ng  farither  was  .then  done  in  the  bufinefs. 
A~nong    his  propolidons    were  the    fodo^'- 
ing.  *^'  Jefus  Chrift   did  not  defcend  into  hell   in 
*'  reality,  .but  only  in  eff>:6t.     Infinite  punifhrnent 
-*'  is  not  due,. even  to  mortal  fin. which  is  only  finite, 
*'  Neither  croffes  nor  images  are  to  be  adored  with 
'<'  the   adoration    of    latria,   even  in    the  fenfe  of 
I*'  Thomas  Aquinas.      God  cannot  be   united  hy- 
**  poftatically   to  any    but  a  rcafonable  creatu:e. 
"  There  is  more   leafon   to  believe  that   On-ea 
•'  was   faved,   then  that   he  was  damned !"     The 
other  propofuions  were  more  properly  of  a  meta- 
.phy^fical  nature,  aud  fo  were  his    explanaUons  of 
VpL.  V.  F  thefe 


S2  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXI. 

thefe.  Having  made  his  fubmiflion  to  the  holy 
fee,  he  was  abfolved  by  Alexander  VI  in  a.  d. 
1493  >  w^hen  his  innocence,  and  the  purity  of  his 
fentiments,  were  acknowledged.  After  this  he 
gave  all  his  time  to  the  ftudy  of  the  fcriptures,  the 
controverfy  with  the  Jews  and  Mahometans,  and 
writing  againft  judicial  aflrology.  That  he  might 
give  himfelf  wholly  to  his  ftudies,  he  renounced 
the  fovereignty  of  Mirandola  and  gave  all  that 
he  bad  to  the  poor.  He  died  at  Florence  in  d.  d, 
1494,  at  the  age  of  thirty  three,  puttmg  on  before 
he  expired,  the  habit  of  the  Dominicans,  for  whom 
lie  had  a  great  regard. 

A  friend  of  Picus,  Jerome  de  Savonarola,  ex- 
cited more  attention  than  he  did ;  and  the  confe- 
quences  of  his  opinions  and  conduft  were  much 
more  ferious.  He  was  a  Dominican,  and  in  a.  d. 
149a  began  to  diftinguifh  himfelf  by  his  preach- 
ing but  much  more  by  his  prophecies.  Picus  of 
Mirandola  brought  him  to  Florence,  where  he 
publifhed  explanations  of  the  book  of  Revelation, 
and  foretold  that  the  church  would  be  renewed, 
after  a  great  fcourge  which  would  fall  upon  it. 
He  was  vehement  in  his  declamations  againfl  the 
clergy  and  the  court  of  Pvome,  which  foon  made 
him  many  enemies. 

But  in  A.  D.  1478,  after  having  been  idolized 
J^y  the  people  of  Florence,  as  a  prophet,  and  even 

direfling 


Sec.  VII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        ^ 

direfting  their  public  mea'lircs,  efpecially  in  de- 
fending (heir  libems  agaiuft  ail  attacks  upon  rhtm, 
h'  incurred  their  indignation  by  favouring,  as  ii  iv ;  s 
fuppofed,  the  eKP.curion  ol  fome  of  the  pariy  of  Pe- 
ter ot  Medicis.  in  the  night,  than  which  nothing 
could  be  more  oppofice  to  public  liberty,  and  e\  en 
to  a  law  which  he  bimfelf  promoted  a  fhort  time 
b<"fore.  Alfo  Lewis  Sforza.  jealous  of  his  great  influ- 
ence, employed  fome  monks  to  decry  him.  and  did 
him  ill  offices  with  the  pope,  who  was  already  fuffi- 
ciently  irritated  againft  him,  on  account  of  his  Iree 
ctnfures  of  the  court  of  Rome,  and  his  vvriniiir 
to  the  emperor  and  the  kings  of  France,  Spain, 
Portugal  and  England,  to  engage  them  todema-id 
the  convocation  of  a  council,  for  the  reformation  of 
the  church,  in  its  head  and  members. 

The  pope,  therefore,  fummoncd  him  to  appear 
before  him.  But  not  chafing  to  put  himfelf  into 
the  power  of  his  enemies,  he  contented  himfelf 
with  willing  an  apol.)gy  for  his  condua,-  and  be- 
ing forbidden  to  preach,  he  employ d  anorher  per- 
fon,  who  in  his  fermons  fpoke  in  his  favour.  On 
this  Alexander  excommunicated  him  as  a  heretic. 
This  proceeding.  howe\  er,  he  (hewed  to  be  null 
and  inflead  of  being  filtnced  by  it,  he  in  a.  d. 
J  498  rtfumed  his  funttions,  on  which  the  pope 
excrmmunicateJ  him  again  ;  and  the  people  of 
J^ioreiice,  wiiating  at  that  time  the  pope's   mtcrefl 

^2  iQJ 


^  tHE  HISTORY  OF        Ter.  xitl. 

for  the  rellitution  of  Pifa,  obliged  him  to  refrain 
from  preaching.  But  the  Dominican,  whom 
Savanorola  had  employed  to  preach  in  his  place, 
ivas  fo  far  from  being  intimidated  by  this,  that 
he  propofed  to  prove  the  truth  of  hh  do6lrines, 
and  the  holinefs  of  his  chara6ler,  by  pafiing  through 
the  fire.  A  Francifcan  acce'pted  his  challenge, 
and  offered  to  go  through  the  fire  along  with 
him,  to  prove  the  contrary.  But  when  ieVery  thing 
was  ready  for  the  trial,  and  the  people  were  affem- 
bled  to  fee  the  iffue,  the  Dominican  infilled  upon 
taking  the  hofl  with  him  ;  and  this  not  being  per- 
mitted, nothing  farther  was  done. 

Savanorola  being  now  unpopular  among  the 
citizens,  was  attacked  in  a  church  in  which  he 
had  taken  refuge ;  and  being  obliged  to  leave  it, 
and  appear  before  the  magillrates,  he  was  afked 
whether  the  revelations  to  which  he  pretended 
'were  real  ;  and  when  he  declared  that  they  were, 
tho'  on  leaving  his  afylum,  they  had  promifed  to 
fend  hirn  to  his  monaftery,  they  ordered  hiiii  to 
■prifon,  and  appointed  comnfiiffaries  from  among 
his  enemies  to  examine  him.  They  did  it  by 
torture,  and  in  a  particularly  cruel  manner,  tho* 
commonly  pra£lifed  in  the  inquifition,  viz.  [by  ty- 
ing his  handi.  behind  him,  then  drawing  him  up 
l3y  a  cord  faflened  to  them,  letting  him  fall  with 
hi=  whole  weight,  and  checking  him  before  he  got 

t© 


f  JPG.  VIL    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  a5 

to  the  ground  ;  by  which  rneans  his  arms  were 
diflocated.  Not  content  with  this,  they  applied 
hot  coals  to  his  barp  feet,  a|id  infulted  him  in  the 
groffeft  mariner.  All  thjis,  however,  he  bore  with 
wonderful  ponftancy,  and  as  foon  as  he  was  in  a 
condition  to  do  it,  he  fell  upon  his  knees,  and 
prayed  for  his  executioners. 

The  pope  hearing  that  he  was  in  cuftody,  defi- 
red  that  he  might  be  fent  to  Rome  ;  but  this  not 
being  approved  of,  he  fcnt  two  judges,  who,  tho', 
they  could  get  no  confeffion    from  him,   even  by  a 
fecond  torture,  condemned  him  tq  die,  along  with 
two    others.     When  they    were   degraded   before 
their  execution,  the  bifhop  who  performed  the  ce- 
remony, faid  to  Jerome  in  the  courfe  of  i't,  "I   fe- 
*'  parate   thee  from  the    church   triumphant,"  he 
replied,   "    Thou  mayefl    feparate  me  from    the 
"  church  militant,  but  not  from  the  church  trium- 
"  phant ;"  and  to  the  lafl;  he  perfifted  in  Jcclarin^^ 
that  every  thing  he  had  foretold  would    certainly 
come  to  pafs.     Alter    this  they  were  ail    hanged, 
their  bodies  burned,  and  their  afhes    thrown  ir-.'.o 
the  river.     This  was  the  23d  of  May  a.  d.  1498. 
A  life  and  defence  of  Savanorola  was  written    by 
John  Francis  Picus  of  Mirandola,   nephew  of  the 
celebrated  John  Picus,    who  maintained  that  the 
pope  had  been  deceived  by  the  enemies  of  Savano- 
y  Q  rgla. 


86  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXL 

rola.  Hie  letters,  which  I  have  lately  pern  fed 
wi'h  much  fatisfaflion.  are  certainly  thofe  of  a  tnan 
of  real  piety.  The  writer  of  thefe  letters  mi^ht 
be  deceived,  but  I  cannot  think  him  an  irnpoilor, 
who  would  end-favour  to  deceive  others. 

In  the    larne  year  in  which   Savanorola    died, 
Peter  D'Aranda,    bifhop  of   Calahorra,  aud  maf- 
ter  of  the  lacred   p^slace,   was   degraded,   and  con- 
demned to  perpetual  imprifonmcnt  in  the  caflle  of 
St.   An^eio  at  Rome,  on  being  convided,  as  it  was 
faid.  of   judaifm.      He  was  faid  to  have  taught  that 
the    Jewilli  religion    had   one   principle,   but    the 
chnltian  three.      In  his  prayers  he  faid  glory  to  the. 
.J-athcr,  ivithout   adding  to  the  Son  or  the  Holv 
Spirit.    He  faid  that  indulgences  were  of  no  avail, 
but  were  inveuced  for  the  fake   of  the    profit   that 
was  di awn  from  them,  that  there  was  neither    hell 
nor  purga.ury.  but    only    paradife.      He   obferved 
no   tail,    and    faid  mafs    aitcr   dinner.      From  his 
-faying  mafs.,  or   receiving   the  Lord's  fupper,  it  is 
evident  he  was  not  a  Jew,  but  probably  an  unita- 
rian chriflian. 

About  twenty  years  before  'he  reformation,  a 
phyfician  of  Bologna,  named  Gabriti  de  Salodio, 
denied  the  divinity  of  Chrift,  and  moreover  affirm- 
ed that  he  was  conceived  and  born  as  other  men 
are  ;  and  yet  the  citizens  would  not  fuffer  the  in- 
.  qMiijors  to  punilh  Lun.     Robinfon,  p,   ^44. 

Joha 


S£C.VII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  «7 

John  Reuchlin,  a  learned  German,  eminent 
for  his  Ikill  in  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  languages, 
and  who  contributed  much  to  the  reftoration  of 
literature,  and  eventually  to  the  reformation  in  Eu- 
rope, made  himfelf  many  enemies  by  his  favouring 
the  Jcvvs.  A  Jew  of  the  name  of  Pfeffercorn, 
becoming  a  chriftian,  perfuaded  Hochllrat,  a  Do- 
minican inquifitor  in  Germany,  and  Arnaud  de 
Tongre'*,  profeffor  of  divinity  at  Cologne,  that  all 
the  books  of  the  Jews  ought  to  be  burned,  as  full 
of  impiety  and  blafphemy  ;  and  they  eafily  pro- 
cured an  order  from  the  emperor  Maximilian  for 
the  purpofe.  The  Jews,  however,  having  fome 
intcreft  at  the  imperial  court,  procured  an  order 
to  the  univeility  of  Colo^jne,  and  others,  to  give 
their  opinions  jointly  with  Reuchlin,  who  was 
then  with  Eberhard,  count  ot  Wirtemberg,  V^i<5tor 
of  Corbie,  and  Jamffs  Hockftrat.  Reuchlin  faid 
that  the  Jewifli  books  on  indifferent  fubjeds  ought 
to  be  fpared,  and  that  only  thofe  that  were  written 
again  ft  chriftian  ity  fhould  be  deftroyed. 

On  this  Pfeffercorn  wrote  againft  that  opinion, 
and  Reuchlin  in  defence  of  it.  But  the  theolo"i- 
ans  of  Cologn,  examining  the  work  of  Reuchlir?, 
found  in  it  forty  five  propofitions,  which  they  faid 
were  erronaous  and  heretical.  Reuchlin  anfwer- 
ed  their  charges,  in  an  apology  addrcffed  to  the 
emperor,  on  which  he  was  cited  before  the  inquifi- 
F  4  toi 


tor  Hochllrat,  in  the  prefence  of  tlie  elector  of 
Mayence  ;  when,  notwithflanding  Reuchlin's  ap- 
peal to  the  court  of  Rome,  the  i'nquifiror  fcrbad 
the  reading  of  his  book.  ItVasalfo  ordered  to 
Be  burned  by  the  univerflty  of  Taris.  This  en- 
touraged  Pfcffercorn  to  vvrite  again  in  anfv/er  to 
l^euchhn,  who  again  appealed  to  Rome.  AH  th« 
learned  in  Europe  took  his  part,  and  the  pope, 
having  appointed  commiiTaries  to  examine  tlie  hnj^ 
finefs,  the  Dominican  was  in  the  iilue  obliged  to  pay 
the  cxpence  of  the  Cdulej  and  abfoive  him  from 
his  excommunication. 

There  were  fome  other  controverfies  -within 
this  period,  which,  tho' of  trifling  confequcnce  in 
themfelvcs,  may  deferve  to  be  juft  noticed  in  this 
Xe6lion.  At  the  council  of  Bafil  in  a.  d.  1435, 
the  opinions  of  AuguRin  de  Roma  Vv'ere  condemn- 
ed. Ke  attritjuted  to  the  human  nature  of  ChriH 
what  belonged  to  the  divine  nature,  and  alfo  a'cri- 
ted  to  Chrifl  himfelf  what  belonged  to  chrifli- 
zr.s,  on  account  of  their  union  with  him  ;  faying 
that  Chrifl  fmned  tvery  day,  meaning  his  mem- 
bers, which  with  himic  f  make  but  one  perfon. 

In  A.  D.  1462  there  was  a  warm  difpute  be- 
tv'ecn  the  Francifcans  and  Dominicar;s  en  the 
fubj^fl:  of  that  blood  of  Chnfl,  v/hich  v/as  fepava- 
tcd  horn  his  body  before  bis  baiial,  viz.  whether 
it  iv^s  kparatcd  from  his  divinity,  fo  as    liOt  to  be 

inthkd 


Sec.  VII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  6« 

mtitled  to  adoration  ;  the  Francircans  -maintain- 
ing that  it  ought  tobeadorcd,  and  the  Dominicans 
the  contrary.'  Pius  1 1  ftammoned  the  ableft  th©- 
ologiaos  on  both  'fidi.s  to  difpute  before  him, 
which  they  did  witli  fo  ranch  warmth  that  they 
fwcated'profafely.  Tl\e  pope  not  chufing  to  of- 
fend either  of  the  parties,  made  no  decifionon  the 
fubje6l,;  'bu^  forbad  any  ixjore  difputing  about  it. 
This  pope  Itld  himfslf  maintained  that  it  was  not 
contrary  tor  reh'gion  to  alTert  that  fome  of  the 
blood  of  Chri ft  remained  on  the  ear.h.  The  uni- 
Terfity  of  Pans a^.fo  had  corne  to  a  fimilar  decilion, 
in  the  year  a.   d.  1408. 

In  A.  D.  1470  it  was  maintained,  by  Peter  dc 
Reve,  in  the  univerfity  of  Louvain,  that  propofi- 
tions  relating  to  any  future  event,  as  that  there 
wrl  be  a  refurreftiou  of  the  dead,  cannot  be  affert- 
ed  without  a  beliei  in  the  doftrine  of  fate  or  ne- 
ctfTiLy  ;  and  an  appeal  was  made  to  the  univerfity 
of  Paris,  which  alTerted  that  this  was  a  falfe  confe- 
quence.  The  divines  of  Louvain,  nor.  fatisfied 
v/Uh  this  anTwer,  appealed  10  ihc  pope, and  on  that 
occafion  the  cardinal  Peter  aux  Iun<:,  after  \ards 
himfflf  pope,  under  the  name  01  S.xtus  IV,  wrote 
a  trcatiie  on  the  fubje^l  of  future  conun^^encics  ; 
but  all  the  propofiuons  of  Peter  de  Reve,  iv/enty 
five  in  nu;r.ber,  were  condemned. 

r  5  The 


90  THE  HISTORY  OF     -    Pzr.  XXI. 

The  dodrine  of  the  immaculate  conception  of 
tke  virgin  Mary  was  firft  advanced  as  an  innocent, 
and  then  a  probable  opinion ;  and  it  is  curious  to 
obferve  how  this,  as  other  opinions  in  favour  of 
the  dignity  of  Mary,  gained  more  and  more  ere? 
dit,  till  it  became  hazardous  to  call  it  in  quef- 
tion. 

At  the  council  of  BaCl,  in  a.  o.  1438,  this 
dodrine  was  decreed  to  be  a  pious  opinion,  agree- 
able to  the  catholic  faith,  and  it  was  ordered  that 
no  perfon  fliould  presach  againfl  it,  and  that  the 
feftival  of  the  conception  fhould  be  celebrated  the 
8th  of  December.  In  a  council  held  at  Avig- 
non in  A.  n.  1457,  thefe  decrees  of  the  council  of 
Bafil  were  confirmed,  all  perfons  were  forbidden 
under  pain  of  excommunication  to  preach  the  con- 
trary do£liine,  and  the  clergy  were  ordered  to  an- 
nounce it  to  the  people,  that  no  perfon  might  pre- 
tend ignorance  of  it. 

NotwithQanding  thefe  decifions,  the  Domini- 
cans were  always  difpofed  ]to  deny  this  do6lrine  ; 
but  it  was  enforced  by  the  univerfity  of  Paris, 
which  in  tlitfc  times  vras  generally  the  umpire  in 
theological  controverGes,  as  well  as  by  papal  au- 
thority. Upon  occafion  of  a  difpute  between  the 
Dominicans  and  Francifcans  on  this  fubjeft  in 
A.  D.  1483,  pope  Sixtus  IV  publiflied  a  bull,  in 
which  he  declared  that  they  who  faid  it  was  herefy 

to 


Sec. VII.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         91 

to  preach  that  do6lnne  were  excommunicated, 
and  if  any  perfon  preached  or  taught  contrary  to 
that  decree,  he  incurred  the  indignation  of  God, 
and  olthc  apoftlcs  Peter  and  Paul. 

All  perfons  however,  were  not  filenccd.  For 
in  A.  D.  1493,  a  Francifcan  having  maintained 
that  the  virgin  Mary  was  conceived  in  origin- 
al Cn,  after  preaching  this  do£lrine,  was  cited 
before  the  univerfity  of  Paris,  and  obliged  to  re- 
traft  it.  And  in  a.  d.  1497  the  faculty  of  Paris, 
after  dehberati ng  on  the  fubje6l  in  three  aflemblies, 
fefolved  that  the  bleffed  virgin  was  preferved  by 
a  fingular  gift  hem  the  (lain  of  original  fin.  They 
farther  thought  the  queliion  of  fo  much  import- 
ance, that  they  engaged  by  oath  not  to  admit  any 
perfon  into  their  body  who  fhould  maintain  the 
contrary  do6tnne. 

This  fame  year  they  obliged  John  Mercelle,  a 
Dominican,  to  reira6t  lome  propofitions  which  he 
advanced,  as  they  thou^jht,  derogatory  to  the  ho- 
nour of  the  virgin.  For  their  curofity  I  fhall  re- 
cite them.  '•'  God  can  produce  a  mere  creature  in 
'*'  greater  glory  than  the  holy  vi?^gin  by  his  abfolute 
"  power,  tho'  he  cannot  according  to  his  ordinary 
"  power.  It  is  a  problem  whether  the  virgin 
♦'  Mary  was,  as  to  her  body,  more  handfome  than 
'=  Eve.  It  is  apocryphal  to  fay,  that  Jefus  Chrift 
*'  went  before  the  virgin  Mary  in  his  airamption. 

*'   We 


9^  THE  HISrORY  OF         Peji.  XXI. 

'f  We  are  not  obliged  to  believe  under  pain  of  mor- 
*'  tal  fm,  that  the  holy  virgin  \ya.s  fa^cen  up  to  heaven 
"  jn  body  ,^nd  foul,  becaufe  it  i^  not  an  article  pf 
"  faith."  All  thefe  propofitions  yvpre  declared  to 
he  calcu^lated  to  lefTen  th^  .devotion  of  the  pjeople 
Itowards  the  blelfcd  virgin,  and  mod  of  them  were 
idenoniinated  falfe,  fcandalous,  impious,  or  offen- 
ifive  to  pious  ears,  &c.  <5:c.  &:c. 


SECTION  VIII. 

Of  the  Clergy  and  the  Monks. 

T 

J_  HE  (late  of  the  clergy  in  this  period 
did  hot  materially  differ  from  that  in  the  preced- 
ins  :  for  tho'  fome  reforms  were  made,  or  rather 
direcled  to  be  made,  refpeding  them,  it  doe«  not 
appear  that  they  were  much  improved  by  them. 

At  the  council  of  Bafii,  in  a.  d.  1437,  all 
priefts  ivho  publicidy  kept  concubines,  were  or- 
dered to  be  deprived  ot  their  livings,  and  the  bi- 
fhops  were  direCled  to  take  pains  to  expel  all  con- 
cubines, and  fufpefted  women,  from  their  diocefes. 
It  was  obferved  that  fome  of  the  fuperior  clergy 
not  only  tolerated  this  evil,  but  derived  advantage, 

fiom 


Sec.   Vlir.     THE  CHRISTIAK  CHUllCTI.       '93 

from  taxing  it.      At  the  fame  council  it  was  order- 
ed, that  there  fhould  be  a  theologian  in  every  ca- 
thedral church,  that  a  ddttor  or  bachfelor  ih  theoi 
logy  who  had  iUidied  tth  years  ih  fome  privileged 
univerfity,   fliould  give  le6lurcs  twicie  a  Week,  and 
thatja  third  part  of  the  'prebends  fhould  be  glvtii 
to  do6lors  licentiates,  or  bachelors,  in  fomc  factiUy* 
It  is  evidenl  from  thefe  provifions,  that  the  great 
hoAy  of  the    clergy   were  very  ignorant;  but  we 
have  the  moA  dire6l  evidence  cf  this  \Vith  refped 
to  Spain.     So  great  was  their  ignorance,  that  hard- 
ly any  of   the    Spanifh  clergy   uhderllbod  ladh. 
Self  indulgence  of  every  kind  Was  their  great  pur- 
fuit ;  concubinage  was  almofl:  public  among  then;; 
and  the  leaft  of  their  diforders  was  carrying  ztnis. 
and  going  to  the  wafs.     Nothing  .W-as  itibrfe  coni-^ 
mon  than  buying    and    felling  benefices.     It  was 
done  without  fcruple. 

In  order  to  remedy  thefe  evils  in  feme  meafure,  it 
was  ordered  in  an  extraordinary  council  held  by  car- 
dinal Bcrgia,aftervvards  pope  Ale'xanderVI,  held  at 
Madrid  in  a.  d.  1473,  thatin  every  cathedral  church 
there  fliould  be  one  canonry  hel  d  by  a  theologian,  and 
another  by  a  lawyer,  and  a  canonift  chofen  by  the 
biPnop  and  the  chapter  jointly.  The  archbifhop  of 
Toledo,  the[cdebratedXimines  alfo  held  a  council 
the  fame  year,  in  which  it  was  ordered,  that  no  liv- 
ing fhould  be  given  but  to  thofe  who  undeiflood 

latii^ 


94  TFE  r^ISTO^.Y  OF  Per.  XXI 

htitj,  and  that  the  clergy  fhould  not  ferve  as  Tol- 
diers,  nor  fend  any  to  ferve  for  thtm,  except  to 
the  king's  arm  cs.  Other  decrees  were  made  a- 
gainft  concubinage*  fimony,  an.l  gaming,  among 
prieft*;,  and  alfo  againfl  fhows  exhibited  in  church- 
es.    Fleury,  Vol.  23,  p   369. 

In  A.  D.  1498  the  fame  archbifliop  held  a  fy- 
nod  at  Alcala,  in  which  it  was  ordered,  that  every 
funday,  and  on  all  t'le  feftivals,  the  cures  (hould, 
after  high  mafs,  explain  the  gofpel  to  the  pe<iplc 
in  a  familiar  and  folid  manner;  and  that  in  the 
evening  they  fhould  afferfible  their  parifhiontrs, 
and  efpecially  the  children,  and  teach  them  the 
chriftian  dodrine.  To  mike  this  bufinefs  eafier 
to  them,  he  procured  catechifms,  and  other  books 
of  inftru6lion,  to  be  drawn  up,  which  were  after- 
wards of  great  ufe. 

At  the    council   of   Lateran    in   a.  d.    1514, 

many  excellent  decrees  were  made  tor  the  retur- 
mation  of  the  clergy,  refpeding  their  3<;e  and  q  la- 
litications,  the  fupprtffion  of  Commendams  plu- 
ralities, the  behaviour  of  the  cardinals,  a.  d  he 
officers  of  the  court  of  Rome;  but  the  hillorian 
fays  they  only  refped^d  «he  clergy  of  the  cuy  of 
Rome,  and  did  not  in  any  meafure  remove  the 
complaints  of  France  and   Germany. 

In  this  fame  council  Tome  excellent  rule< 
were  laid  down  refpedin^  prtaching,  v\  hich  before 

this 


SecVIII.     the  christian  church.        95 

this  time  appears  to  have  been  very  low  and  une- 
difying.  '*  Whereas,"  fays  this  bull,  "  many  per- 
"  fons  in  preaching  do  not  teach  the  way  of  the 
"  Lord,  or  explain  the  gofpel,  but  rather  fpeak  by 
"  way  of  oftentation,  accompany  what  they  fay 
"  with  violent  gefticulations,  fpeak  loud,  and  pi-.b- 
"  lifh  feigned  miracles,  apocryphal  and  fcandalous 
"  ftories,  of  no  authority,  and  not  tending  to 
"  edification,  we  order,  under  pain  of  excom- 
*'  munication,  that  from  this  time,  no  clergy- 
**  man,  fecular  or  regular,  be  admitted  to  preach, 
"  whaterer  privilege  he  pretends  to  have,  be- 
"  fore  an  account  has  been  taken  of  his  morals, 
*'  his  age,  doftrine,  prudence,  and  probity,  and 
"  till  evidence  has  been  given  of  his  living  an  ex- 
"  emplary  life  ;  and  that  the  preachers  explain  in 
*'  their  fermons  the  truth  of  the  gofpel,  according 
"  to  the  fentiments  of  the  holy  Fathers,  that  their 
•'  difcourfes  abound  with  quotations  from  the  fcrip- 
**  tures,  that  they  endeavour  to  infpire  a  horror  of 
*'  vice,  and  a  love  of  virtue  and  charify  to  their 
*'  neighbours." 

One  great  abufe,  however,  had  its  origin  int 
this  period.  In  a.  d.  1473,  Sixtus  IV,  tho, 
with  much  reluftance,  at  the  requeft  of  Ferdinand 
king  of  Spain,  granted  the  bifhopric  of  SaragofTa 
in  perpetual  commendam  to  his  baftard  fon  AI- 
phonfo,  then  only  fix  years  old,  by  which,  faid  the 

cardinal 


99  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXI, 

cardinal  of  Pavia,  he  introduced  a  new  example, 
of  which  popes  and  kings  have  taken  great  advan- 
tage fince  that  time. 

Thete  was  as  litilc  change  in  the  ftate  of  the 
monks,  as  in  that  of  the  ccrgv  of  this  period.     The  , 
iiiihtary  orders,  vvho  were  the  neareft  to  the  fccular 
charafter,  lived,  as  might  be  expe£lcd,   like  other 
fecular  perfons,  with  as  liltle  regard  to  religion  or 
morality;   and  the  Teutonic  knights   were  noted 
for  their  viokti'ces  and  diforders.     In  a     d.  1429 
Gofwm  of  Aichenberg  feized  fixteen  deputies,  fent 
from  the  council  of  Riga  to  Rome,  and  confider- 
ing  them  as  traitors,  caufed  (hem  to  be  drowned  j 
which  increafed  the  odium  under  which  that  order 
lay,   as  the    enemies,  and   not  the  friends,  of  reli- 
gion. 

As  the  military  orders  hadcxpenlive  as  wePI  as 
liaxardous  fervices  to  perform,  their  revenues  in 
an  a^e  of  religion  and  chivalry,  were  proportionally 
liberal ;  but  when  their  fervices  were  lefs  wanted, 
thufe  large  revenues  became  an  objefl  of  defire  to 
the  temporal  fovereigns.    In  a.  d.  1488  Ferdinand 
king  of  Spain  w^as  by  the  pope  made  great  mafter 
of  the  orders  of  CalaPrava,  St  James,  and    Alcan- 
tara,   the  revenues  of  each  of  them  being  not  lefs 
than  an  hundred  thoufand  di.rcats ;  and  it  was  the 
luore  natural  tor  thekin^  to  take  them  himfelf,  as 

the 


Sec.  VIII.  THE   CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*        S^ 

the   grandees  of  the   kingdom  had  been  guilty  of 
great  diCorders  to  get  them  itito  their  hands. 

The  mendicant  orders  were  ftill  more  favoured  by 
the  common  people  than  the  monks,  and  indeed 
fome  individuals  of  thefe  orders  were  infilled  to  the 
higheft  refpeft,  on  account  of  their  genume  ardour 
in  the  caufe  of  religion.  The  caleof  Savanarola  has 
been  mentioned  before.  In  a.  d.  1418  another 
Dominican,  called  Manfiedot  Verceil,  announced 
the  near  approach  of  Antichrift;  and  by  that 
means  drew  a  great  number  of  men  and  women  to 
engage  in  his  order,  living  by  the  labour  of  their 
hands,  the  men  feparate  from  the  women,  and  re- 
citing the  divine  offices  with  great  devotion.  The 
pope  apprehending  fome  mifchief  from  thefe  fo- 
cieties,  abolifhed  them  ;  but  in  this  he  could  not 
fucceed  entirely,  on  account  of  the  great  .regard 
&he  people  had  for  Manfred. 

The  mendicants  were  always  at  variance  with 
the  fecular  priefts  about  the  privilege  of  confeflion, 
which  was  a  fource  of  great  emolument  to  them, 
Nicolas  V  had  favoured  them,  giving  them  liberty 
to  confcfs  pcrfons  at  Eafter,  which  was  deemed  to 
be  contrary  to  the  rights  of  the  clergy,  cftablilhed 
by  the  canons.  The  univerfity  of  Paris  took  the 
part  of  the  clergy  in  this  bufinefs,  and  becaufe  the 
mendicant  profeffors  would  not  join  in  a  petition 
for  the  revocation  of  that  pope's  bull,  they  exclu- 
VoL.  V.  G  ded 


98  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXI. 

ded  them  from  their  body.  On  an  apphcation  to 
pope  Celeftint  III,  he  confirmed  the  bull  of  Ni- 
colas, atid  cancelled  the  orders  of  the  univf  rfky. 
But  the  members  of  the  univerfny  cxprelFcd  fo 
much  refentment  at  this  co  -du6l  of  rhe  pope,  -'hat 
he  thought  proper  to  revoke  his  bull,  and  the 
mendiC'ints  made  their  fubmiflion,  and  promifed 
not  to  folicit  for  any  more  bulls  in  their  favour. 
The  general  of  the  order,  however,  encouraged 
a  fecond  oppofition,  but  the  univerfity  again  broUj^ht 
them  to  fubmiflion.  Thefe  difputes,  were,  how- 
ever hrquently  revived. 

On  occafion  of  a  difference  between  the  men- 
dicants and  the  Parifh  pricfts  in  Germany,  Sixtus 
IV  decided  in  favour  of  the  priells ;  forbid- 
ding the  former  to  preach  againft  the  will  of  the 
latter,  during  the  parifh  mafTes,  on  feftivals,  or 
fundays  ;  but  diie6ling  them  to  teach  the  people 
that  they  were  not  obliged  to  confefs  to  their  pa- 
rifh priefts,  except  at  Eafler. 

The  two  or  dpi  s  of  mendicants  were  no  more 
difpofed  to  agreement  than  they  both  were  with  the 
monks,  or  thefecular  clergy.  In  a.  d.  1483  there 
was  a  warm  difpute  between  the  Dominicans  and 
Francifcans ;  the  latter  maintaining  that  the  ho- 
nour of  the  lligmates  was  peculiar  to  St.  Francis  ; 
whereas  the  latter  afferted  that  Catherine  of  Sien- 
na had  the  f*me  honour.     Pope  Sixtus    IV,  who 

had 


Sec.  VIII.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        9S 

had  been  a  Francilcan,  decided  in  their  favour,  andi 
forbad  the  painting  of  t^?e  imaje  of  Catherine  with 
ftigmates.  Afterwards,  however,  he  i bought  pro- 
prr  to  foften  his  decree  and  withdraw  his  cen- 
fures. 

In  A.  D  i486  John  Marchand,  a  Francifcan 
preacher  at  Befanlon,  advanced  feveral  ftrange 
propofitions  concerning  the  prerogatives  of  St. 
Francis,  which  were  condemned  by  the  faculty  of 
theology  at  Paris,  but  which  deferve  to  be  menti- 
oned as  curiofities  of  the  kind.  "  St.  Francis,'* 
he  faid,  "  was  the  only  perfon  who  was  found, 
**  worthy  to  be  advanced  to  that  place  in  heaven 
«'  from  which  Lucifer  fell,  and  it  was  given  to  him 
"  on  account  of  his  fuperior  humility.  St.  Fran- 
"  cis  refembles  Chrifl  in  forty  refpe£ls,  among 
"  which  are  the  following.  He  is  a  fecond  Chrift, 
*•  or  fecond  fon  of  God,_his  conception  was  fore- 
•'  told  by  an  angel,  and  he  was  born  in  a  flable,  be« 
«*  tween  an  ox  and  an  afs.  When  he  received  the 
«'  ftigmates  (concerning  which  he  afTcrted  many 
•*  ridiculous  particulars)  the  rocks  were  rent ;  they 
•«  began  to  be  imprinted  early  in  the  morning,  and 
"  the  operatic  n  continued  till  three  in  the  afternoon, 
*•  the  time  on  which  Chrifl  expired.  St.  Francis 
'*  obtained  ot  God  the  privilege  of  defcending  cve- 
"  ry  year  on  the  day  of  his  feftival  into  purgatory,. 

G  2  "  and 


100  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXI. 

'•  and  then  he  carried  away  with  him  all  the  men 
*'  and  W'  men  of  his  order  mto  heaven," 

Lewis  XI  of  France,  f.ho'  ridiculoufly  fuper- 
fti.'tous,  yet  honi  pohcy  and  avarice,  torbad  all 
abbots,  pnorsand  rnon'-^s,  to  atterd  the  chapters  of 
their  order  out.  ol  the  kingdom,  unc'er  pain  of  ba- 
nifhment,  and  other  heavy  punifhraeiits. 

This  period,  as  well  as  the  preceding,  furnifhes 
fome  examples  of  perfons  of  dillmftion  Ihewing 
their  refpeft  for  the  monadic  life,  by  adopting  it, 
or  the  fymbols  of  it,  before  their  death.  Themoft 
remarkable  inftance  of  this  kind  in  Europe  is  that 
of  Vi61;or  Armadoeus,  duke  of  Savoy,  who  in 
A.  D.  1434  quitted  his  fovereignty  and  retired  to 
Ripailles,  near  the  lake  of  Geneva,  where  he  found- 
ed the  order  of  St,  Maurice.  He  was  afterwards, 
as  we  have  feen,  elecle*'  pope  by  the  council  of 
B^fd;  when  he  took  the  i.'ame  of  Felix  V. 

In  the  Eaft  Manuel  Paleologus  the  Greek  em- 
peror put  on  the  drefs  ot  a  monk  two  years  before 
he  died,  leaving  the  adminiflration  to  his  fon 
John. 

So  much  account  is  made  o{  the  monkifh  cha- 
ra£lerinthe  Eafl,  that  when,  in  a.  d.  1474,  Ma- 
nuel was  chofen  patriarch  of  Conflantinople,  h« 
was  made  a  monk,  according,  as  it  was  faid,  to  the 
univerfal  culloin  of  ih-  Grc  ks  with  rcfpeft  to  all 
bifhops,     Oa  this  occafion  he  prefented  Mahomet 

the 


Sic.  VIII.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     101 

the  Turkifh  emperor  with  five  hundred  crowns  of 
gold,  befides  paying  him  two  thoufand  every  year 
as  a  tribute. 

The  Fratricelli,  or  Minorites,  continued,  tho' 
in  a  ftate  of  perfecution,  through  the  whole  of 
this  period,  their  chief  places  of  refort  being  the 
march  of  Ancona  in  Italy,  the  foulh  of  France, 
and  Bohemia.  They  were  vehemently  perfecu- 
ted  by  Nicolas  V,  but  efpecially  by  Paul  II.  All 
that  remained  of  them  embraced  the  relormation 
by  Luther.     Mojheim,  Vol.  2.  p.  251. 

A  new  feft  of  Flagellants  appeared  in  this  pe- 
riod in  Germany,  and  efpecially  in  Lower  Saxo- 
ny. They  are  faid  to  have  placed  their  hope  of 
falvation  in  faith  and  flagellation,  to  which  they 
added  fome  peculiar  opinions  concerning  the  Ho- 
ly Spirit,  and  other  fubjedls.  They  were  headed 
by  Conrad  Schmidt  who  was  apprehended  and 
burned  alive  in  a.  d.  1414  by  Henry  Schonfield, 
an  inquifitor  in  Germany,  a  man  famous  for  his 
zeal  in  the  extirpation  of  herefy.  lb.  Vol.  3,  p. 
278. 

The  CelUte  brethren,    who  were  at   Antwerp, 

had   their  name    from  living   in   cells,    Akxians, 

from  Alexius  their  tutelary  faint,  and  Lollards 
(which  was   then  a  term  of  reproach)   fiom  their 

finging  at  funerals.     They  attended  the  fick  and 
G    3  buried 


102  THE  HISTORY  OF         Puji.  XXL 

burled  the  dead,  who  in  a  time  of  peftilence  were 
much  neglefted  by  the  clergy.  MoJIieim,  Vol  3,  p. 
184. 

The  itdi  that  u^as  called  men  of  underjlanding, 
arofe  in  this  period  at  Bruflels.  At  the  head  of 
them  ware  ^gidius  Cantor,  and  William  Helden- 
iffen,  a  Carmelite  monk.  They  held  many  of  the 
tenets  of  the  m\  flics,  denied  the  power  of  abfo- 
liTtion  in  the  priefts,  and  that  mortification  was  ne- 
cefTary  to  falvation.  Their  dottrine  was  condemn- 
ed by  Peter  D'Ailli  archbifhop  of  Cambray,  who 
compelled  Wdiiam  HildeniHen  to  abjure  them, 
lb.  Vol.  3,  p.  277. 

In  this  period  was  inflituted  the  order  of  the 
Hermits  of  St.  Francis,  called  afterwards  that  of  the 
Minims,  founded  by  Francis  de  Paola,  a  fimple 
and  lilierate  man,  who  led  the  life  of  a  hermit  in 
Calabria,  abftaining  from  almoft  every  article  of 
the  common  food  ot  man.  So  famous  was  he  on 
this  account,  that  he  was  ufually  called  the  hcdy 
man  of  Calabria.  Sixtus  IV  was  fo  much  pleafed 
with  him,  that  he  afithorized  him  to  inftitute  a 
nevv  order.  Lev/is  XI  of  France  fent  for  him  in 
his  laft  illnefs,  and  he  fui-prized  all  his  court  with 
the  pertinency  of  his  anfwetvS  to  the  queftions  rhat 
v/ere  put  to  him.  After  this  he  refidv-.d  at  T'>?irs 
in    Fiaiice,  and  in  a  ihoi!:    t;rr;e  majr-y  monafM'ts 

uf 


Sec.  IX.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        103 

of  his  order  ucre  built  in  that  neighbourhood,  and 
they  afterwards  fpread  over  all  parts  of  Europe. 
Giannone,  Vol.  2,  p.  492. 


SECTION  IX. 

The  Hijlory  of  Jetzer  at  Bern. 


M 


c. 


ANY  of  the  fuperftitions  of  the 
hurch  of  Rome  were  fupported  by  pretended  mi- 
racles, and  efpecially  thofe  of  the  apparitions  of 
dead  perfons;  and  as  every  thing  of  this  kmd  fell 
under  much  fufpicion  by  the  detedion  of  one-  of 
them  at  Bern,  in  Switzerland,  a  Ihort  time  before 
the  reformation,  and  is  conGdered  by  many  as 
having  contributed  to  prepare  the  way  for  it,  I 
fhall  for  this  reafon  give  a  more  detailed  account 
of  it  than  it  would  otherwife  have  been  entitled  to. 
I  abridge  it  from  Ruchat's  HiJlory  of  the  Reformat 
tion  in  Suntztrland.  His  authorities  are  taken  from 
the  public  atls  of  the  State  of  Berne,  copied  by 
Stettler  in  his  hiftory,  of  whofe  fidelity  Mr.  Ru- 
chat  fpeaks  in  the  higheft  terms. 

The  two  orders  of  Dominicans  and  Francifcans 

had  been  a  long  time  divided  on  the  fubjeCt  of  the 

immaculate   conception  of  the  virgin   Mary ;  the 

G  ,1  former 


104  THE  HIS  rORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

former  denying  that  doftrine,  and  the  latter  main- 
taining it.  The  Francifcans,  fupported  by  the 
principal  univcrfities,  were  perpetually  infulting 
the  Dominicans  with  their  incredulity  on  this  fub- 
jp^l,  and  efpecially  in  their  fermons  addrefied  to 
the  common  people.  This  irritated  them  fo  much 
that,  at  a  general  chapter  of  their  order  held  at 
Wimpfen  in  Germany  in  a.  n.  1506,  at  the  lodg- 
ings of  Werner  de  Selden  prior  of  the  Dominicans 
at  Balil  and  vicar  in  Upper  Germany,  it  was  ob- 
ferved  that,  as  the  P'rancifcans  fupported  their 
doflrine  by  falfe  miracles,  it  was  neceffary  (or  them 
to  fupport  theirs  in  the  fame  way;  and  at  length 
it  was  determined  to  make  Bern  the  fcene  of  their 
operations,  on  account  of  the  inhabitants  of  that 
city  being  a  plain  fimple  people,  and  therefore 
more  eafily  impofed  upon. 

It  happened  conveniently  for  their  purpofe  that 
a  ftupid  young  man  of  the  name  of  John  Jelzer^ 
a  taylor  of  Zurzach,  applied  at  that  time  for  ad- 
miflion  into  the  order  at  Bern;  and  in  1507^6 
was  received.  So^n  after  his  entrance  into  the  mo- 
naftery,  and  btfore  he  had  made  his  profeffional 
vows,  they  began  to  afFright  him  with  apparitions 
in  the  night,  and  efpecially  with  one  of  a  pretended 
old  Dominican,  who  faid  that  he  was  fufFering  for 
his  fins.  Terrified  with  this  apparition,  Jetzer 
would  have  quitted  the  order,  but,  though  with 

fomc 


Sec.  IX.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  105 

fome  difficulty,  he  was  perfuaded  to  continue  in  it, 
and  at  his  own  requeft  another  apartment  was 
afiigned  him  in  a  remote  part  of  the  houfe,  and 
more  convenient  for  the  ufe  that  was  to  be  made  of 
it;  and  four  perfons  undertook  to  condudl  the  bu- 
finefs.  Thefe  were  John  Fetter  of  Marpach  the 
prior,  Dr.  Stephen  Boultzhorfl;  the  reader,  Francis 
Ultfchi  of  Bern  the  fubprior,  and  Henry  Steinegher 
the  fteward. 

Accordingly  the  fub- prior,  on  the  eve  of  the  three 
kings  in  a.  d.  1507,  appeared  likeafpirit,  follow- 
ed by  a  company  of  devils  in  the  form  of  dcgs 
during  feveral  nights;  and  in  one  of  them  he  en- 
tered the  chamber  of  Jetzer,  who  calling  for  help, 
the  Reward  and  the  cook,  who  were  alfo  in  the  fe- 
cret,  encouraged  him,  and  advifed  him  how  to 
proceed  in  future. 

On  the  7th  of  March  the  fpirit  appeared  again 
in  a  more  frightful  form  than  before,  cx.inguifliing 
his  candle  and  throwing  down  the  holy  water, 
with  which  he  had  been  provided.  And  vv'hen 
Jetzer,  as  he  had  been  taught  faid  "  the  Lord  have 
*'  mercy  upon  thee,  and  deliver  thee,"  he  replied, 
"  Thou  and  thy  brethren  can  deliver  me,  and  I 
"  will  come  a^jain  in  eioht  days."  After  that  in- 
terval  he  appeared  agam,  and  after  much  conjura- 
tion, faid  that  he  had  been  prior  of  that  monaflery 
one  hundred  and  fixty  years  before,  and  for  fome 
G  ^  crime 


106  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXI. 

crime  which  he  had  committed  had  been  torment- 
ed in  purgatory  ever  fince.  He  then  told  him  wKat 
bimfclf  and  the  brethren  fhould  do  for  his  deliver- 
ance. Among  other  things  Jetzer  was  to  difcipline 
himfelf  till  the  blood  flowed  from  him,  and  to  lie 
upon  his  face  in  the  form  of  a  crofs  &c.  &c.  Be- 
fore the  ipirit  took  his  leave,  he  with  the  confent  of 
jetzer,  took  him  by  the  band,  that  he  might  give 
him  an  idea  of  the  torments  he  endured;  and  what 
he  did  to  him  gave  him  fo  much  pain  in  his  mid- 
dle   finger  that  the  nail  came  oflF. 

After  eight  days  more  the  fpiritappeared  again  but 
without  any  thing  terrifying  in  his  appearance,  to  tell 
him  what  was  fliii  neceflary  to  compleat  his  deli- 
verance. This  being  complied  with,  after  eight  days 
irore  he  appeared  m  a  facerdotal  habit,  and  wuh  a 
choarful  countenance  ;  and  in  difcourfing  with  him 
faid  that  feveral  perfons  were  in  hell,  and  others  in 
purgatory,  for  ailerting  the  immaculate  conception 
of  the  virgin,  and  efpecially  J.  Scotus,  who  fir  ft 
advanced  that  do61rine ;  that  St.  Barbara  and  the 
Vir^fin  Mary  herfelt  would  foon  appear  to  him, 
and  that  he  mufl  prepare  himfelf  by  fading  and 
prayer  for  fo  great  an  honour..  When  Jetzer  in- 
formed the  brethren  of  this,  they  gave  him  feveral 
queftions  to  propofe  to  the  virgin,  the  principal 
of  which  related  to  the  dotlrine  of  the  immaculate 
conception. 

In 


Sec. IX.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  lor 

In  the  night  between  the  loth  and  nth  o\  April 
his  room  was  entered  by  a  perfon  dreffed  in  white, 
who  faid  fhe  was  St.  Barbara,  the  fervant  of  the 
virgin;  and  upon  this  fhe  took  the  paper  contain- 
ing the  quellions,  and  faid  fhe  would  deliver  it  to 
the  virgin.  The  next  day  after  mattins  the  reader 
appeared  again  as  the  virgin,  attended  by  St.  Bar- 
bara, who  was  the  prior,  and  two  angels,  which 
were  wooden  images  ;  and  after  much  difcourfe, 
containing  a  folemn  declaration  that  fhe  was  born 
like  other  women,  in  original  fin,  though  fhe  con- 
tinued m  that  Hate  only  three  hours;  fhe,  as  an 
efpecial  favour,  took  his  hand,  and  nailed  it  to  the 
bed  poH ;  faying  that  fhe  would  vifit  him  again,  and 
favour  him  with  the  four  othei  wounds  of  her  fon. 
This  treatment,  as  may  be  fuppofed,  was  not  much 
to  Jetzer's  liking;  but  fhe  exhorted  him  not  only 
to  bear  it  with  patience,  but  to  receive  it  with  gra- 
titude for  the  honour  that  was  done  him.  All  this 
was  at  this  time  publ.fhed  in  the  city,  and  bo.fled 
of  in  the  fermons  of  the  friars,  as  an  honour  to  the 
Citv  of  Berne,  and  to  all  Sivitzerland. 

On  the  Palm  t'unday  tullowing  the  fupprfed 
virgin  appeared  to  J{  tzer  again,  difcourlea  more 
at  lar^^e  cancerning  her  conception,  and  pron  ifcd 
to  honour  him  u-iiii  more  vilits.  At  this  lin,e  ths 
fub-prior  went  to  mttt  the  provincial  of  the-ordcr 
at  Ulrn,    informed   him    of  what   h^d  been  done, 

and 


lt)8  THE  HISTORY  OF  Pxr.  XXL 

and  advifed  a  meeting  of  the  principal  fathers  of 
the  order  at  Pfortzeim.  at  the  time  of  holding  th« 
chapter,  when  the  prior  and  the  reader  w.  uld 
attend.  ^jEight  days  after  Eafter  the  four  principals 
of  the  tnonaftery,  after  fome  preparation,  waited 
upon  Jetzer,  and  gave  him  two  papers,  containing 
ihe  oppofite  doftrifies  concerning  the  conception 
of  the  virgin,  and  direftcd  him  to  requeft  at  her 
next  vifit  that  fhe  would  tear  that  which  was 
falfe;  and  the  night  following  this  was  done  by 
the  reader,  who  perfonated  the  virgin. 

Some  of  the  friars  afFefting  to  doubt  whether 
the  apparition  might  not  be  that  of  an  evil  fpirit, 
Jetzer  was  dire£led  to  requeft  the  next  time  the 
virgin  appeared,  that  fhe  would  repeat  the  -paUr 
nojitr,  the  ave  Maria^  and  the  apoftle's  creed. 
This  fhe  readily  did,  and  at  the  fame  time  pretend- 
ed to  bring  him  a  lighted  candle  from  heaven. 

At  another  time  this  virgin  pretending  by  fome 
trick  to  change  a  white  wafer  into  a  red  one,  as  a 
proof  of  the  reality  of  the  vifion,  Jetzer,  forgetting 
his  promife  not  to  ftir  from  the  bed  on  which  he 
lay,  jumped  out,  and  feizing  the  pretended  virgin, 
difcovered  the  impoRure.  Thfey  then  told  him 
that  they  had  done  this  in  order  to  try  whether  he 
was  a  man  caf;/  to  be  impofcd  upon  ;  and  that  not 
being  able  to  deceive  him,  they  now  had  no  doubt 
ol  the  truth  of  the  former  appearances  ;  and  fhow- 

ing 


Sec.  IX.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        i09 

ing  him  that  other  wafers  could  not  be  coloured 
with  blood  as  that  was,  he  was  made  to  believe  that 
the  red  wafer  was  really  one  that  had  been  made  fo 
hy  the  virgin,  and  that  they  had  taken  it  from  the 
altar  where  (he  had  depofited  it. 

After  this,  the  oLber  a£lors  being  gene  to  the 
chapter  to  confult  with  their  brethren  how  they 
fhould  conduft  themfclves  in  the  prtfent  cizcum- 
ftances,  the  fub- prior  appeared  to  Jetzer  again  as 
the  virgin,  and  perfuaded  him  to  receive  the  four 
remaining  marks  of  her  fon's  paffion  ;  and  he  im- 
preffed  them  upon  his  feet,  hands  and  fide,  with  a 
hot  iron,  which  made  him  roar  with  pain.  But 
he  was  perfuaded  to  bear  it  with  patience  and  gra- 
titude. 

The  prior  and  reader  being  returned  from 
Pfortzheim,  and  after  difcourfing  with  Jetzer, 
finding  that  he  had  fome  fufpicion  of  a  trick  with 
refpeft  to  the  red  wafer,  they  determined  to  take 
him  ofFby  poifon.  But  he,  fufpefling  that  there 
was  fomcthing  noxious  in  fome  foup  that  was  giv- 
en him,  gave  it  to  fome  young  wolves,  and  they 
died  in  confequence  of  it.  Still,  however,  he  was 
made  to  believe,  that  tho*  the  foup  had  killed  the 
wolves,  it  would  not  have  hurt  a  man. 

In  the  mean  lime  the  fub-prior  perfonating  the 
virgin  Mary,  and  another  friar  comimg  to  drefs 

his 


no  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXI. 

his  wounds,  be  difcov^red  who  they  were.  But 
again  they  (aid  they  did  it  only  to  try  h-m. 

They  then  contrived  to  make  a  ftatue  of  fha 
virgin  Mary  appear  to  fht^d  tears  ot  blood,  and  to 
hold  a  coiivertarion  Mith  an  image  of  efns  who 
complamed  of  the  honor  done  to  her.  in  derogati- 
on of  that  which  was  due  to  himfelf  only.  And 
when  Jetzer  aded  the  paflion  of  our  Saviour  as  he 
had  been  inftru6led  to  do,  they  would  have  given 
him  the  red  wafer  which  was  poifoned  ;  but  he  de- 
clined it,  and  took  another.  Many  of  the  people 
of  the  town  were  permitted  to  fee  this  miracle  of 
the  tears  of  blood,  but  feveial  of  (hem  thought  it 
to  be  only  a  trick  ;  and  when  after  this  exhibition 
one  of  the  friars  was  concealed  behind  a  board  in 
the  wall  near  the  image  of  the  virgin,  in  order  to 
make  her  feem  to  converfe  with  jetzer,  he  difco- 
vered  the  cheat  by  the  motion  of  the  board,  and 
openly  reproached  them  all  as  impoftors. 

The  council  of  Berne,  being  at  a  lofs  what  to 
think  ot  the  affair,  dt  fired  the  provincial  of  the 
Dominicans  to  inquire  into  it;  and  he  fent  two 
deputies  to  Jetzer;  who  after  ufing  very  harfh 
lanouage,  and  ill  treatment,  made  him  pronnfe  that 
when  the  bifliop  of  Laufanne  came  to  examine 
bim  (as  they  had  heard  that  he  wouMj  he  would 
not  divulge  any  thing  to  the  prejudice  of  the 
order.      The    bifliop    accordingly    came,  but  he 

could. 


Sec.   IX.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       Ill 

could  not  difcover  any  thing  ;  as  rbev  bad  taken 
down  the  cell  of  Jcfz.r,  and  alfo  that  vvh;ch  was 
next  to  it,  left  their  apparatus  for  impofiiig  upon 
him  Ihould  have  been  found  out. 

The  prior  then  perfonated  St.  Bernard  ;  and 
after  difcourfing  with  Jetzer  in  that  chara6ler, 
would  have  gone  out  of  the  window  like  a  fpirit, 
that  had  no  occafion  to  tread  the  ground.  But 
Jetzer,  difcovering  the  trick,  pufhed  him  with 
fuch  violence,  that  the  fub-prior  and  the  fteward, 
who  waited  without  to  receive  him,  were  obli- 
ged to  carry  him  away,  and  take  care  of  his 
wounds. 

About  this  time  Jetzer  refufed  to  have  hii  wounds 
dreffed  by  the  friars,  and  then  found  that  they 
healed  of  themfelves  in  three  days.  And  when  the 
fub-prior  and  the  fteward  entered  his  room,  one 
of  them  in  the  charafter  of  the  virgin,  and  the  o- 
ther  in  that  of  St.  Catherine  of  Sienna,  he  knew 
them  by  their  voice=,  and,  falling  upon  them,  he 
wounded  one  of  them  in  the  fhoulder,  and  ftunned 
the  other  with  a  blow  of  a  hammer.  In  defending 
themfelves,  however,  they  ftruck  him  a  blow  on 
the  cheek,  which  was  fwelied  eight  days.-  He  then 
compUined  to  the  prior,  and,  to  the  reader,  of  the 
impofition  in  very  harfh  language.  And  after 
this  he  furprized  three  oi  the  friars  in  the  cham- 
ber of  the  prior  regaling  themfelves  in    company 

with 


112  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXI. 

with  women,  and  fharply  reproved  them   for   their 

eondu6t. 

Finding  that  they  could  not  impofeupon  him 

any  more,  they  compelled  him  by  harfh  ufage  and 

toiture  to  take  an  oath  that  he  would  never  difco- 

ver  'he  impofture  ;   but  not  depending  upon   this, 

they  put  a  poifoned  water  into   his  mouth    as   he 

was  a<51;mg  the  paflion  of  our   Saviour,  which  they 

had  perfuaded  him  to  do  once  more;   but,  fufped- 

ing  their  intention,   he  did  not  fwallow  it,  and  fpit 

it  out  when  the  ceremony  was  over. 

Still  hoping  to  deceive  him,  they  dreffed  a  per- 
fon  to  refemble  the  virgin,  who  fpoke  to  Jetzer 
when  he  was  on  his  knees  before  the  great  alrar. 
But  being  now  well  apprized  of  their  tricks,  he 
replied  *'  Thou  art  not  Mary^  but  the  devil,  and 
drew  his  knife  in  order  to  wound  her;  when  fhe 
put  out  the  candle  and  efcapc  d. 

On  the  24th  of  September  the  reader  and  the 
fub-priorwentto  Rome  to  confultwiththeir general. 
He  being  abfent,  they  applied  to  his  vicar  general, 
whoenjoincd  them  toproceedno  farther,  promifmg 
to  procure  a  brief  from  the  pope  to  prevent  any 
inquiry  into  the  bufmefs.  But  the  citizens  of  Bern 
not  being  fatisfied,  the  affair  wa^  brought  before 
their  council,  and  the  prior  and  jeizer  were  both 
examined;  when  nothing  bein^;  difcovered,  the  lat- 
ter was  conducted  to  Laulanne;  buttjimking  him- 

lelf 


Sec.  IX.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        US 

felf  bound  by  his  oath,  he  profefTed,  when  he  was 
interrogated,  that  he  believed  the  trutii  of  the  vi- 
fions.  The  council  of  Bern  not  being  farisfied 
with  this,  he  was  examined  by  torture;  when  he 
confefled  all  that  he  knew,  and  the  biftiop  wrote 
to  Rome,  to  confult  his  fuperior  upon  the  bufinefs, 
which  now  appeared  to  be  of  confiderable  impor- 
tance. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  a.  d.  1500,  Paul 
Hughes,  the  vicar  of  the  order,  with  other  ecclefi- 
aftics  arrived ;  and  to  cover  the  difgrace  of  the  ordef 
he  degraded  Jetzer,  But  being  then  examined  a- 
gain  before  the  council,  and  confronted  with  all 
that  were  concerned  in  the  impofture,  he  perlifled 
in  his  evidence  againft  them,  and  in  his  account  of 
the  fcandalous  lives  that  they  led. 

On  the  gth  of  February,  Jetzer  perfifling  in 
his  evidence  when  again  put  to  the  torture,  the  four 
friars  were  apprehended,  and  committed  to  th« 
cuftody  of  foldiers.  The  pope  (Julius  II.)  being 
then  applied  to,  and  all  the  four  being  examined 
in  his  prefence,  they  confeffed  the  whole,  and 
begged  for  mercy ;  but  alter  much  formality  in  the 
proceedings,  the  judge  appointed  by  the  pope  fen- 
tenced  them  to  be  firlt  degraded,  and  then  burned 
alive;  and  this  was  executed  on  the  31ft  of  May,  in 
the  prefenceof  an  infinite  number  of  fpeftators.  Jet- 
zer was  made  to  walk  in  the  ilreets  of  Bern  with  a 

Vol.  V.  H  mitr© 


lU  THE  HISTORY  OP  Per.  XXL 

iritre  of  "paper  on  his  head,  expofed  upon  a 
ladder  for  one  hour  before  the  houfe  of  the  provoft, 
and  banifhed  from  upper  and  lower  Germany. 

Thus  ended  this  bold  attempt  to  impofe  upon 
the  world  by  a  pretended  miracle,  which  naturally 
led  perfons  to  fufpedl  that  other  miracles  pretended 
to  have  been  wrought  in  proof  of  oihtr  do6lrines, 
and  efpecially  of  purgatory,  and  others  in  which  the 
emoluments  of  the  priefls,  monks  or  friars  were 
concerned,  might  have  no  better  foundation,  tho' 
it  was  impoffible  to  prove  the  impofition. 

This  ftory  is  alluded  to  in  that  admirable  poem 
of  Buchanan  intitled  Francifcanns,  the  obje61;  of 
which  was  to  expofe  the  order  of  Francifcans, 
and  the  friars  and  monks  in  general.  With  the 
lame  view  he  dwells  more  largely  on  the  cafe  of  a 
nun,  who  being  pregnant,  but  to  difguife  her  fex 
was  drefTed  like  a  man,  was  delivered  of  a  child  in 
the  vefTel  in  which  fbe,  together  with  the  monk 
with  whom  flie  had  co-habited,  was  failing  on  the 
river  Loire  in  France,   to  go  to  Bourdeaux, 

We  are  not,  however,  to  infer  that  all  the  mem- 
bers of  thefe  religious  orders  were  thus  licentious; 
tho'  in  certain  periods,  and  efpecially  a  little  before 
the  reformation,  the  generality  of  them  perhaps 
were  fo.  There  were  among  them  at  all  times  nu- 
merous examples  of  the  mod  fervent  piety,  tho* 
debafed  with  much  and  grofs  fuperflition.     They 

really 


Sic.  X.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       it^ 

really  renounced  the  pleafures  and  vanities  of  this 
life,  in  order  to  facilitate,  as  they  thought,  their 
preparation  for  another. 


SECTION  X. 

Ar ikies  relating  to  Church  Difcipline, 


I 


N  this  period  fome  new  feftivals  v*rere 
introduced  into  the  church.  In  a.  d.  1441  the 
council  of  BaQl  decreed  the  feftival  of  the  vifitation 
of  the  virgin  Mary  to  be  celebrated  the  2d  of  July 
In  A.  D.  1456  pope  Calixtus  III  confirmed  the 
celebration  of  the  feftival  of  the  transfiguration,  an 
office  was  compofed  for  the  purpofe,  and  indul- 
gences annexed  to  the  obfervance  of  it,  fimilar  to 
thofe  annexed  to  the  obfervance  of  the  feftival  of 
the  holy  facrament.  In  a.  d.  1476  Sixtus  IV.  in 
order  to  guard  ag?inft  the  plague,  and  an  inundati- 
on with  which  the  city  of  Rome  had  been  afflided, 
granted  indulgences  to  "  thofe  who  would  obferve 
this  feftival  of  the  holy  facrament,  and  that  of  the 
immaculate  conception  of  the  virgin  Mary,"  fo 
exprefled  in  the  bull.  This  order  was  received  with 
much  fatistaclion,  becaufe,  tho'  the  fame  had  been 

H2  ordered 


tld  THE  HISTORY  OF        PER;XXr. 

ordered  by  the  council  of  Bafil,  that  council  wa» 
by  many  confidered  as  fchifmatical.  In  a.  d.  1481 
the  fame  pope  eftablifhed  the  feftival  of  St.  Jofeph, 
ordering  the  obfervance  of  it  to  be  univerfal; 
whereas  it  had  before  this  time  been  confined  to  the 
cloiflers  of  the  Carmelites>  the  Francifcans,  and 
perhaps  the  Dominicans, 

The  jubilee  in  a.  d.  1450  was  frequented  bjr 
more  perfons  than  any  former  one.  Many  were 
crufbed  to  death  in  the  churches  and  other  places. 
Ninety  feven  perfons  were  thrown  off  the  bridge 
of  St.  Angclo  and  drowned  on  occafion  of  a  mule 
paffing  over  it.  Perfons  of  great  diflindion  at- 
tended this  jubilee,  and  among  them  the  count  of 
Cilley  in  Stiria,  a  man  addi6led  to  every  kind 
of  vice,  and  who  continued  to  be  fo  after  his  return. 
The  people  of  Poland  and  Lithuania  were  allowed 
the  benefit  of  this  jubilee,  on  their  paying  half  as 
much  money  as  the  journey  to  Rome  would  have 
cofl  them,  of  which  the  king  was  to  have  one  half 
for  the  expences  of  the  war  againft  the  Turks,  One 
fourth  was  to  be  at  the  difpofal  of  queen  Sophia, 
for  thepurpofe  of  giving  portions  to  young  women, 
and  the  remaining  fourth  was  to  be  applied  to  the 
repairs  of  churches  in  Rome.  This,  being  more 
than  was  wanted,  was  reduced  one  half,  and  ftill 
was  a  great  fum. 

Ik 


Sec.x,   the  christian  church.       liy 

In  A.  D.  1470  Paul  II.  reduced  the  term  of  thfe 
jubilee  to  twenty  five  years,  to  commence  in  a.  d. 
1475.  The  jubilee  in  a.  d.  1500  was  not  fo  well 
attended  as  the  preceding,  on  account  of  the  wars 
in  Italy.  Alfo  the  fame  indulgence  was  granted 
to  thofe  who  did  not  go  to  Rome  on  their  paying 
a  certain  fum  of  money,  which  it  was  pretended 
would  be  employed  in  the  war  againft  the  Turks. 
Notwithftanding  this,  Rome  exhibited  on  this  oc- 
cafion  a  fcene  of  the  greateft  diforder,  fays  Mariana, 
cfpecially  among  the  clergy,  who  ought  to  have  fet 
a  better  example. 

Among  other  regulations  to  fecure  the  decent 
celebration  of  pubhc  worfhip,  it  was  ordered  in  the 
council  of  Bafil,  in  a.  d.  1435,  that  all  perfons 
Ihould  bow  on  the  pronounciation  of  the  name  of 
Jefus.  It  was  at  the  fame  time  forbidden  to  fay 
mafs  in  fo  low  a  voice  that  no  perfon  could  hear  it. 
Alfo  plays  performed  in  churches  by  children  were 
forbidden,  together  with  mafquerades,  and  fales  in 
churches,  and  church  yards.  Dances  and  plays 
in  churches  were  forbidden  at  a  council  held  at 
Sens  in  a.  d.  1485. 

In  March  1471  Galeazzo  Sforza  duke  of  Mi- 
lan accompanied  by  his  duchefs  Bona,  filler  of  the 
duke  of  Savoy,  paid  a  vifit  to  Florence]wherc  they 
took  up  their  refidencc  with  Lorenzo  de  Medici, 
but  their  attendants,  who  were  very  numerous,  were 
H  3  accommodated 


J  IS  THE  HISTORY  OF       Phr,  XXL 

accommodated  at  the  public  charge,  and  this  occa- 
Honed  a  (bene  of  general  riot  and  diffipation.  Ma- 
chiavelli  fays  it  was  the  firfl  time  that  an  open  dif- 
regard  was  avowed  in  Florence  of  the  prohibition 
of  eating  flefli  in  lent.     Rofcoe's  life  of  Lorenzo, 

P-  137- 

The  evils  which  arofe  from  the  privilege  of  afy. 

lum  in  churches  and  church  yards  in  England  was 
great  in  d.  d.  1488,  all  kinds  ot  criramals  being  by 
that  means  fcreened  from  the  purfuit  of  juftice. 
Henry  VII.  applied  to  the  pope  for  a  reme- 
dy. But  all  that  was  done  was  to  order  that,  if  any 
perfon  quitted  his  afylum  to  commit  any  new  crime 
he  loft  the  privilege,  that  debtors  might  be  com- 
pelled to  fatisfy  their  creditors,  and  that  traitors,  tho' 
they  could  not  be  forced  from  their  afylums,  fhould 
be  kept  in  view,  and  prevented  from  a6ling  againft 
the  king. 

We  have  feen  the  fii  ft  eftablifliment  of  the  iri' 
qui/itioii  In  a  preceding  period ;  but  it  was  not  fully 
cftablifhed  in  its  prefent  form,  at  leaft  in  Spain,  till 
the  year  a.  d.  1478,  when  certain  officers  were  ap- 
pointed for  the  fole  purpofe  of  judging  in  articles  of 
faith,  heiefy,  and  infidelity,  independant  of  the 
biftiops.*      The  occalion  of  this  eftablilhment  was 

the 

*  The  man  who  pat  the  finifhing  hand  to  the  Inqur- 
fitorial  fyftem  in  Spain,  and  brought  it  to  its  prefent 
form,  was  Thomas  of  Torcj^u^maia,  confelTor  to  Fercli- 


Sec.x.     the  christian  church*      in 

the  relapfing  of  many  Moors  and  Jews,  and  their 
perverting  others.  After  the  taking  of  Grenada, 
the  inquifition  was  extended  to  all  the  conquered 
countries,  afterwards  to  Sicily,  and  Sardinia,  and 
all  the  other  flates  of  the  king  of  Spain,  except 
Naples,  and  the  Low  Countries,  where  the  people 
always  revolted  on  every  attempt  to  introduce  it. 
It  had  now  got  the  title  of  the  holy  office,  and  be- 
fides  herefy,  took  cognifance  of  fortilege,  fodomy, 
and  polygamy.  The  king  appointed  an  inquisitor 
gmeral  for'  all  his  dominions ;  and  he,  with  the 
eonfent  of  the  king,  appointed  particular  inquili, 
fitors  for  each  place.  The  king  alfo  appointed  a 
councilor  fenate,  to  affift  the  inquifitor  general. 
His  officers,  whofe  bufinefs  it  was  to  apprehend 
the  prifoners,  were  cdXl^d.  fayniliars.. 

In  about  a.  d.  1440  great  numbers  of  per- 
fons  were,  at  the  inftigation  of  the  inquifitor,  driv- 
en out  of  Bifcay  to  Valadolid,  and  Dominga  de 
Calvados,  and  burned  alive  at  thofe  places,  for  re- 
fuling  to  abjure  do£lrines  condemned  by  the 
church  of  Rome.  Geddcs's  Tracts,  Vol.  i,  p.  455. 
In  A.  D.  1485  the  ereftion  of  the  inquifition 
occafioned  much  difturbance  in  Spain,  many 
perfons  being  put  to  death  in  it,  and  among  them 
H  4  there 

nand  and  Ifabelb.  He  was  made  InquiHtor  General 
of  all  Spain,  and  alfo  the  chief  inftrument  of  the 
expulfion  of  tha  Jews  and  Moors.     Robinson^  p.  323. 


t^  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXI. 

there  were  faid  to;have  been  many  that  were  innocent. 
Some  of  the  chief  nobility  joined  the  complainants; 
faying  the  inquifition  was  a  violation  of  their  liber- 
ties, that  the  inquifitors  were  not  content  with  the 
confifcation  of  the  goods  of  perfons  accufed,that  the 
informer  was  allowed  to  be  a  witnefs,  that^the  accu- 
led  had  no  knowledge  of  his  accufers,  and  that 
there  was  no  confrontation  of  witnefTes.  From 
complaints  they  proceeded  to  open  revolt.  The 
Hates  of  Arragon  intreated  Ferdinand  to  regulate 
the  tiibunalof  the  inquifition  on  the  model  of  o- 
ther  tribunals,  and  forbid  the  confifcation  of  goods. 
One  of  the  inquifitors  was  murdered  in  a  church 
by  a  band  of  perfons  ;  but  he  was  afterwards  can- 
onized as  a  martyr. 

In  A.  D.  1517  alfo  ftrong  remonflrances  were 
made  againft  the  proceedings  of  the  inquifition  in 
Spain.  Complaints  were  made  that  innocent 
perfons  were  put  to  death  in  it,  and  a  deputation 
was  fent  to  the  king  at  Bruffels,  requefting,  as 
before,  that  their  proceedings  might  be  made  to 
conform  to  thofe  of  other  tribunals,  that  the  in- 
form-r  fhould  noi  be  a  witne(s,  that  the  accufed 
fliouii  know  his  acCLifcr,  and  ih.u  witneffes  fhould 
be  corj^rori'rd.  The  Je^«.  sand  Moors  ftjengthtned 
th  s  rippl'Ccition  by  the  (vfFer  ot  a  l«^rge  fum  of 
ri'-iHy.  But  cardinal  Ximenes  vep'cferjttd  that,. 
ii  the  irquifiiion  vv«s  icjcvmif d,  thiy  would  be  lia- 
ble 


Sec.  X,     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         121 

ble  to  be  murdered,  and  there  would  be  an  uni- 
verfal  revolt  through  Spain,  This  had  its  efiPtff, 
and  nothing  was  done. 

Sometime  before  this,  viz.  in  a.  d.  1510,  the 
people  of  Naples  revolted  againft  the  inquifition 
which  the  Spaniards  had  introduced  into  that  ci- 
ty. In  order  to  appeafe  the  tumult,  the  viceroy- 
ordered  all  the  Jews,  who  were  newly  arrived  from 
Spain,  whether  converted  or  not,  to  leave  the 
kingdom  ;  and  there  being  then  no  pretence  for 
the  eftablifhmcnt  of  the  inquifition,  he  abolifhed 
it,  with  the  advice  of  the  pope  himfelf,  interelled 
as  he  was  in  keeping  it  up. 

The  liberty  of  the  prefs,  after  the  invention  of 
multiplying  books  by  printing,  could  not  fail  to 
alarm  the  governing  powers  in  the  church,  in  this 
age  of  reading  and  thinking.  At  the  council  of 
Lateran  in  a.  d.  1515,  it  was  decreed,  that,  fince 
many  books  containing  pernicious  do6lrines,  and 
offenfive  to  perfons  in  high  flations,  had  been 
printed,  nothing  fhould  for  the  future  be  publifiied 
in  Italy  till  it  had  been  examined  by  perfons  ap- 
pointed by  the  pope,  and  in  other  places  by  ihc 
bifhop  of  the  diocefe,  or  the  inquifitor  of  the  place, 
under  pain  of  excommunication,  to  be  pronounced, 
without  delay. 

No   council   ever  met  with   better  intentions 

than  that  ntid  at  Bafil  ;    and  notvvilhrianding  die 

H  5  oppofition 


12J2  THE  HISTORY  OF        Ver.  XXI. 

oppofilion  the  members  met  with  from  the  pope, 
and    the    coolnefs  of  the  chriflian  princes,    they 
made  feveral  ufeful  reform5 ;  but  as  the   credit  of 
the  .council  funk,   they    came  to   have  no  effe£l. 
They  ordered  that  no  town  or  place  fhould  have 
an  interdiiSl  laid  upon  it,  except  for  the  fault  of  the 
whole  tokvn  or  its  governor.      For  the  eafe  of  fcru-. 
pulous  confciences,  they  decreed  that  it  was  fafe  to 
communicate  with  any   perfon   who    was  not  ex- 
communicated by  name ;  and  when  the  excommu- 
nication had   been   pronounced  by    a  competent 
judge,  and  properly  notified-     They  ordered  that 
nothing  fhould  be  taken  for  provilions,   collations, 
cledlions,  and  inflitutions,  at  the    court  of   Rome, 
for  any  benefice  whatever,  on  the  pretence  of   an- 
nates, or  any  other  caufe  ;  that  if  the  pope  himfelf 
fiiould  aft   contrary  to   this  decree,   he  fliould  be 
denounced  to  the  council.      The  pope  and   his  le- 
gates prGiCiled  againfl  this    decree,    but  in   vain. 
They  condemned  all  expcdative  graces,    mandates, 
and  rcferves  of  benefices,  which  the  popes  had  been 
ufcd  to  appropriate  to  themfelves.     They  reduced 
the  number  of  cardinals  to  twenty  four.  They  or- 
dered tliat  nephews  of  popes  or  cardinals  fhould  not 
be  eligible   to  this  dignity,  that  they  fliould  not  be 
under  thirty  years  of  age,  their  revenues  fhould  be 
derived   from  the  lands,  and  places  belonging    to 

the 


Sec.X.      the  christian  church.  125 

the  fee  of  Rome,  that  they  fhculd  be   the  pope's 
council,  and  fign  all  his  a6ls. 

Pope  Eugcnias  in  his  defence  of  the  archbifhoo 
of  York,  whom  he  had  made  a  cardinal  againll 
the  archbidiop  of  Canterbury,  carried  the  origin 
of  thecardinallhip  as  high  as  the  old  Teflament, 
and  afferted  its  dignity  above  that  ofan  archbifliop. 
Thefe  he  faid,  prelided  over  particular  churches, 
but  that  the  cardinals  had  the  jurifdiclion  of  the 
whole  church,  in  conjun6lion  with  the  holy  fee. 

The  builnefs  of  confeffion  was  fo  gainful  to  the 
church,  that  it  was  watched  with  the  mod  fcrupu- 
lous  attention.  At  the  council  of  Tortofa  in  a; 
D.  1429,  it  was  ordered  that  phyhcians  fliould  not 
pay  three  vifits  together  to  any  perfoa  who  had 
not  confelfed.  And,  at  a  council  held  at  Paris, 
the  fame  year,  phyficians  were  diredled  to  exhort 
their  patients  to  confefs  before  they  adminiflered 
any  medicines  to  them,  and  not  to  adminiller  any 
if  they  refufed. 

Extreme  un(!n;ion  by  its  denomination  implies 
that  it  is  not  to  be  repeated.  Notwithftanding  this, 
Pius  II,  tho'  he  had  received  this  facrament  when 
he  had  been  fuppofed  to  be  at  the  point  of  death, 
but  had  recovered,  received  it  a  fecond  time  before 
he  aQually  died.  At  the  lime,  however,  there 
was  much  difpute  about  tlie  propriety  of  it, 

SECTION 


IM  '        THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXI. 

SECTION    XI. 

Mifcellancoiis   Articles. 

I.  Of  Ike  ^aldenfis  and  Jews, 


A: 


BOUT  the  year  a.  d.  1560,  the 
Waldcnfesjbeing,  hke  the  primitive  chriftians,  accu- 
fcdof  fhocking  enormities,  Lewis  XII.  defired  the 
parliament  of  Provence  to  inquire  into  the  fafts, 
and  punifli  them  as  they  fhould  appear  to  deferve. 
In  confequence  of  this  many  perfons  being  falfely 
accufed  were  put  to  death;  but  the  king,  who 
meant  well,  hearing  that  the  people  were  innocent 
made  farther  inquiry,  and  finding  (hat  they  were 
not  guilty  of  any  of  the  crimes  laid  to  their  charge 
put  a  flop  to  the  perfecution;  faying  that  thofc 
who  had  fufFered  were  better  than  himfelf  and  his 
catholic  fubjefts.      Laval,  Vol.  I.  p.  40. 

The  cruel  perfecution  of  the  Jews  was  carried 
on  in  feveral  places  within  this  period,  tho'  in  o- 
ther  refpe«fls  more  enlightened,  and  liberal  than 
the  preceding.  At  the  council  of  Balil  in  a.  d. 
1434,  chriftians  were  forbidden  to  have  any  com- 
munication vathjews,  and  to  fell,  or  pledge  to  them 
any  ornaments   of  ciiurches.     They  were  ordered 

to 


Sec.  XI.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       125 

to  wear  a  particular  drefs,  and  to  live  as  much  as 
poffible  by  themfelves.  At  the  fame  time  thofe  of 
them  who  would  become  chriftians  were  allowed 
to  retain  what  they  had  got  by  ufury,  provided  they 
did  not  know  to  whom  it  belonged.  At  a  council 
at  Frifingue,  in  a.  d.  1440,  Jews  were  forbidden 
to  lend  on  ufury,  to  have  -chriftian  domeftics,  to 
have  their  windows  or  gates  fhut  at^whitfuntidc,  to 
appear  in  public  in  paffion  week,  to  fay  any  thing 
againft  religion,  the  virgin  Mary,  or  the  faints, 
when  the  facrament  was  carried  to  the  fick.  It 
was  alfo  ordered  that  no  chriftian  fhould  go  to  the 
bath  along  with  them,  or  take  their  medicines. 

Ferdinand  and  Ifabella,  after  expelling  the 
Moors  from  Spain,  iffucd  an  cdi6l  in  a.  d.  1492, 
by  which  all  the  Jews  were  ordered  to  leave  the 
country  in  the  fpace  of  four  months,  if  they  did 
not  embrace  chriftianity  ;  and  all  who  could  not 
afford  to  pay  for  their  paffage  out  of  it  were  made 
ilavcs,  Mariana  fays  that  feventy  thoufand  fami- 
lies and  eight  hundred  thoufand  perfons  left  Spain 
in  confequence  of  this  edi6l.  But  the  Jews  fay 
they  were  not  lefsthan  an  hundred  thoufand  fami» 
lies.  The  favour  that  the  learned  Abrabinel  had 
with  the  king  and  queen  could  not  fave  him.  He 
went  with  the  reft  of  his  brethren  into  exile  into 
Italy.  Great  numbers,  however,  gave  way  to  the 
ftorm,  by  pretending  to  become  converts  to  chrifti- 
anity 


126^^  THE  HISTORY  OF     Per.  XXI. 

anity;  but  they  were   narrowly   watched   by  the 
officers  of  the  inquifition. 

John  II.  of  Portugal  permitted  the  Jews  to 
take  refuge  in  his  country,  but  he  made  each  of 
them  pay  him  eight  crowns  of  gold;  and  Emanuel, 
who  fucceeded  him,  marrying  the  "daughter  of 
Ferdinand,  banifhed  boih  the  Moors  and  Jews, 
snl  not  allowing  them  to  take  their  children  that 
were  above  fourteen  years  ot  age,  fome  killed  them- 
felves,  and  others  their  children.  Thofe  who  fled 
being  obliged  to  go  from  one  port  to  another,  and 
many  delays  being  purpofely  thro^vn  in  their 
way,  many  of  them  were  entirely  impoverifhed. 

In  A.  D.  1494  twelve  Jews  and  two  JewefTes 
were  executed  in  Hungary  on  fhe  charge  of  killing 
a  chriflian,  and  drinking  his  blood.  But  they 
fuffered  the  mofl  by  the  inquifition  in  Spain  and 
Portugal;  fo  that  great  numbers,  finding  it  incon- 
venient to  leave  the  country,  outwardly  conformed 
to  the  catholic  religion..  In  a.  d.  1498  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  Jews  in  Spain  made  profeflion  of 
the  chriflian  relioion. 

o 

In  A.  D.  1506  the  populace  of  Lifbon  rofe 
upon  the  Jews,  on  the  occafion  ot  one  of  them, 
who  had  been  newly  converted,  cxpoling  a  pre- 
tended miracle,  while  he  was  attending  divine  fer- 
vice.  He  was  immediately  dragged  out  of  the 
church,  and  burned  in  the   middle  of  the  ftreet. 

the 


Sec.   X.        THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       127 

The  people  were  headed  by  two  monks,  and  they 
made  a  dreadful  maflacre  of  the  newly  converted 
Jews,  fparing  neither  men,  women,  nor  children. 
This  maflacre  continued  three  days;  and  about  - 
two  thoufand  perfons  periflied  in  it.  The  king 
however,  was  much  offended,  and  the  two  monks 
were  punifhed  with  death,  and  their  afhes  thrown 
to  the  winds. 

In  the  fifteenth  century  Paul  of  Burgo,  who 
had  been  a  Jewifh  Rabbin,  embraced  chriftianity, 
and  was  made  bilhop  of  Carthagena,  and  after- 
wards of  Burgos.  He  wrote,  among  other  things, 
a  work  entitled  Scrutinium  Srcipturarum,  which 
has  been  printed.  He  had  a  large  family,  which 
fubfifts  ftill  in  Spain,  and  in  much  fplendor. 
He  died  in  a.  d.  1431.  La  Croze' sEthiopie,  p.  54. 

In  A.  D.  1614,  a  profeflbr  in  the  academy  at 
MarpuTg,  of  the  name  of  Victor,  being  fhocked  at 
the  myftery  of  the  trinity,  renounced  chriftianity, 
for  Judaifm,  and  retired  to  Theflalonica,  taking 
the  name  of  Mofes  Pardo.  BasnagCf  Vol.  9,  p. 
844. 

II.  Of  the  Propagation  of  Chrijlianity. 

Little  occurs  about  the  propagation  of  chrifti- 
anity in  any  form  within  this  period.  In  a.  d. 
1490  the  king  of  Portugal  fent  miffionaries  to  Con- 
go, and   the  king  of  that  country   was  baptized. 

But 


ns        '  THEHISrORYOF        Per.  XXI, 

But  finding  that  he  would  be  allowed  to  have  no 
more  than  one  wife,  he  returned  to  his  former  re- 
ligion, tho'  his  fon  perfevered  in  the  profeffion  of 
chriftianity. 

III.  OJ the  Moors  in  Sj)ain. 

On  an  apprehenfion  of  a  revolt  of  the  Moor* 
In  Spain  in  a.  d.  1499,  king  Ferdinand,  by  the 
advice  of  Ximenes,  fummoned  the  Moorifh  prieft* 
and  monks  before  him  at  Grenada,  and  by  threat- 
ening them  with  death,  engaged  them  to  become 
chrillians,  and  endeavour  to  convert  other  Moors. 
On  this  occafion  the  number  baptized  was  very 
great.  Among  others,  a  Moorifh  prince,  of  the 
name  of  Zegri,  was  converted,  and  he  afterwards 
became  a  zealous  catholic.  But  in  general  it  could 
not  be  fuppofed  that  many  of  thefe  converlions 
were  real.  At  this  time  it  was  faid,  that  five  thou- 
fand  copies  of  the  Koran  were  burned.  This  per- 
fecution  occafioned  a  fudden  revolt  of  the  Maho-. 
mctan  Moors,  and  about  an  hundred  thoufand  of 
them  appeared  in  arms  ;  but  having  no  plan,  or 
regular  commander,  they  were  foon  difperfed, 

IV.  0/  the  Turks. 

The  recovery  of  the  holy  land  was  in  this  pe- 
riod wholly  defpaired  of  by  the  chriftians  in  the 
Weft,  and  mftead   of  meafures   of  oiFcnce,  their 

great 


Sec.  X.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         129 

great  ohjeft  was  to  defend  themfelves  againO  the 
Turks.  The  great  objett  of  the  council  of  Mantua, 
in  A.  D.  1459,  was  to  promote  the  union  of  all 
thechriftian  powers  againfl  this  formidable  enemy. 
Pius  II  had  this  bufinefs  much  at  heart,  ancx.  to 
appearance  he  brought  the  princes  of  Europe  to 
ciiter  into  his  meafurcs ;  but  dying  as  he  was  rea- 
dy to  embark  in  perfon  on  the  expedition,  the  en- 
terprize  came  to  nothing. 

V.  Of  UnhcUevcrs. 

There  were,  no  doubt,  many  unbelievers,  in 
this,  as  well  as  the  preceding  periods  ;  but  as  they 
had  no  intereft  in  being  martyrs,  they  would  na- 
turally difguife,  or  deny,  their  principles'.  Accord- 
ing to  the  philofophy  of  thefe  times,  originally  de- 
rived from  Averroes,  they  held  that  there  was  only- 
one  foul  in  ail  men,  and  of  courfe  that  all  fepairate 
confcioufnefs  ceafed  at  death.  At  the  council  of  La- 
teran  in  A.  d  1513,  a  decree  was  made  againfl:  the 
philofophers  who  taught  this  do£lrine,  as  alfo  that 
of  the  eternity  of  the  world,  and  others  of  a  fimilar 
tendency.  They  had  b^n  taught  by  Peter  Pom- 
ponatius,  a  profeflTor  of  philofophy  of  great  reputa- 
tion at  Padua.  However,  he  always  faid  that, 
tho'  there  is  no  proof  in  natural  reafon  for  the  doc- 
trine of  the  immortality  of  the  foul,  it  was  eftablifh- 
ed    by    the  fcriptures,    and    the  authority  of   the 

Vol.   V.  I  church. 


130  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXL 

church.  Sigifmond  Malatefta,  prince  of  Rimini, 
who  commanded  the  armies  of  the  Siennefe  and 
Florentines,  and  who  had  the  charafter  of  bemg  the 
greateft  general  of  thefe  times,  was  a  man  without 
any  religion,  openly  denymg  the  immortality  of  the 
foul.  He  was  excommunicated  by  Pius  II  for 
retufing  to  pay  a  tax  to  the  church.  At  length, 
being  defeated  by  the  troops  of  the  pope,  he  con- 
felled  his  errors,  and  received  abfolution. 

VI.  of  Superjlition, 

Many  inftances  of  Juperjlition  occur  in  this  as 
well  as  former  periods  ;  and  as  they  are  inftruc- 
tive,  as  well  as  amufing,  I  fhall  recite  a  few  of  them. 
In  A.  D.  1480,  the  inhabitants  of  Perufia  had  a 
warm  conteftwith  thofe  of  Clufium,  afhfled  by  the 
Siennefe,  about  the  ring  which  Jofeph  gave  to  the 
virgin  Mary  when  he  married  her.  The  former 
faid  that  they  got  the  pofTeflion  of  it  in  fome  mi- 
raculous manner,  and  were  ready  to  expofe  their 
lives  and  fortunes  for  the  recovery  of  it  from  the 
latter,  who  had  ftolen  it  from  them.  Pope  Sixtus 
IV,  notchufmgto  hazard  his  authority  on  the  oc- 
cafion,  did  not  venture  to  decide  in  thecaufe  ;  but 
Innocent  VIII  confirmed  the  inhabitants  of  Clu- 
fium  in  the  poCTefTion. 

In  A.  D.  1492  the  title  written  by    Pilate  for 
the  erofs  of  Chrift  was  pretended  to  be   found  ia 

Rome, 


Sec.  X.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        J 31 

Rome,  and  was  faid  to  have  been   fent  rhitber  by 
Helena    the  mother  of  Conftantine.      Another   ti- 
tle being  pretended  to  be  found  at  Thoiloule,  and 
to  have  been    there  long   before  the    fi'covery  of 
that  at  Rome,  Alexander  VI,  in  a.  d.  1496   pub- 
lifhed  a  bull,  in  which  he  aflerced  the   authenticity 
of  that  at  Rome,  and  granted  indulgences  to   thofe 
who  fhould    vifit  the   church    in    which   it    was 
kept   the  laft  funday  in   January.     In   the   fame 
year  the  Turkifh    emperor  Bajazet  fent    the   pope 
the. iron  head  of  the   lance  with  which  it  was  faid 
the  fide  of  Jef|is  had  been  pierced.     All  the  clergy 
in  Rome,  accompanied   by  the  pope  himlelf,  went 
in  foiemn  proceflion  to  receive  it.      However,    the 
emperor  was  faid  to  have  the  fame  relic  at  Nurem- 
berg, and  the  king  of  France  at  Paris. 

Judicial  aftiology  was  in  great  credit  in  thefe 
times,  tho'  always  regarded  with  lufpicion  by  the 
friends  of  religion.  In  a.  d  1493  ^^-^  Simon 
Pbaio-s,  a  profelfor  of  judicial  uflrology,  having 
been  forbidden  the  pra6tice  of  his  art  by  the  arch- 
bifliop  ot  Lyons,  appealed  to  the  p  rliament  of 
Paris.  They  referred  the  caule  to  the  faculty  of 
the  univerlity,  who  in  a.  d.  1494  declared  the  art 
to  be  '•  pernicious,  fabulous,  fuperftitious,  anufur- 
"  pation  of  the  honour  of  God,  a  corruption  of 
"  goo.^  morals,  and  invented  by  daemons  for  the 
"  deftruftioH  of  men."  The  parliament,  in  confe* 
I  2  quencd 


ji32  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXI. 

quence  of  this  opinion,  confirmed  the  decree  of  the 
archbifhap  of  Lyons,  and  forbad  the  exercif^  of 
the  art. 

X)fthe  Art  of  Printing,  and  the  Progrefs  of 
Literature. 

Notwithftanding  this  fuperftition,  this  was  the 
age  in  which  the  foundation  was  laid  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  literature  in  all  future  ages,  by  the 
invention  of  the  art  of  printing.  This  noble  art 
to  which  religion  and  literature  are  fo  much  in- 
debted, was  invented  about  the  year  a.  d.  1440. 
There  has  been  much  difpulin^  about  the  origin 
of  it  ;  but  it  is  with  the  greate ft  probability  afcri- 
bed  (as  I  think  is  clearly  proved  by  Dr.  Cogan 
in  the  account  of  his  journe-y  along  the  Rhine} 
to  Laurence  Cofter  a  magiftrate  of  Haarlem  in 
Holland  about  a.  d.  1430.  But  a  fervant  of  his, 
John  Geinsflefche,  having  robbed  him  of  his 
types,  which  were  made  of  wood,  and  joining 
J.  Fauftus  a  perfon  of  property  at  Mentz,  and  af- 
terwards Guttenberg]of  Strafburgh,  and  they  taking 
into  their  fervice  P.  SchaefFer,  an  ingenious  young 
man  who  difcovered  the  method  of  caftina:  metal 
types,  and  then  printing  books  in  Latin,  while 
Cofter  only  printed  a  few  in  Dutch,  the  Ger- 
mans carried  away  the  honour  of  the  invention. 

At 


Sec.  X.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        133^ 

At  firfl;  their  printed  copies  were  fold  as  maniiTi 
fcripts;  but  appearing  to- be  too  numerous,  an4 
too  like  one  another,  to  have  been  executed  in  that 
way,  the  fecret  was  difcovered;  and  from  Germa- 
ny the  art  was  foon  carried  to  other  parts  of  Eu- 
rope. This  art,  by  making  books  cheap,  put  it 
within  the  power  of  the  poor,  as  well  as  the  rich, 
to  acquire  knowledge. 

The  literature  of  Europe  gained  much  by  the 
extindiion  of  the  Greek  empire  by  the  Turks, 
many  learned  men  leaving  Conftantinople,  and 
being  received  with  much  diftinftion  in  Italy, 
efpeciaHy  by  the  Medici  of  Florence.  Till  this 
period  very  few  Europeans  underflood  any  thing 
of  Greek. 

It  vvas  in  favour  of  free  enquiry  that  Lewis  XI 
ol  France,  gave  leave  to  read  the  works  of  Occam, 
and  other  Nominalifts,  which  had  been  prohibited 
in  the  univerfity  of  Paris  ;  the  advocates  for  them 
pleading  their  merit,  in  oppofition  to  the  do6lrine 
of  a  profelTor  at  Louvain,  concerning  the  certainty 
of  future  events. 

Biblical  knowledge  is  much  indebted  to  cardi- 
nal Ximenes,  who  in  a.  d.  1502  began  the  con- 
{lru6lion  of  a  Polyglott  Bible,  employing  the  moft 
learned  men  that  he  could  find  in  Hebrew,  Ara- 
bic, and  Greek,  in  the   execution   of   it.     But  it 

1 3  was 


134.  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXL 

was  not  printed  till  the  year  a.  d.  1515.  when  it 
was  dedicated  to  Leo  X.  The  cardinal  himfelf 
defrayed  all  the  expence  of  this  work,  which  was 
very  great. 


PERIOD 


S£C.  I.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  155 


PERIOD    XXII. 

From  the  biginning  of  the  Reforma- 
tion IN  Germany,  a.  d.  1517,  '^o  the 
CONCLUSION  OF  THE  Council  of  Trent 
IN  a.  d.  1563. 


SECTION  I. 


Of  tht  Proceedings  of  Luther,  till  they  attraBed  the 
Notice  of  the  Pope, 

V  V  E  have  feen  in  the  courfe  of  this 
hiftory  the  amazing  and  almofl;  incredible  progrefs 
of  corruption  and  abufes  of  every  kind,  both  in 
do6lrine  and  difcipline.  At  the  period  to  which 
we  are  now  arrived  the  call  for  reformation  was 
loud  and  univerfal,  the  neceffity  for  it  being  in  all 
refpefts  apparent.  Thiough  all  Europe  ignorance, 
efpeciaily  of  the  fcriptures,  and  of  theology,  was 
extreme.  Divines  in  general  knew  nothing  of  the 
bible,  but  through  the  Vulgate  verfion,  and  they 
fladied  nothing   but  what  was  cdHed fc ho lajlic  iheo- 

I  4  Hy> 


j^S.5  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

logy;  or  the  woiks  of  Lombard,  Aquinas,  and 
Scotus  the  fabjefts  of  which  were  fubtleties 
of  the  mod  trifling  kind.  Public  worfhip  confift- 
ed  of  mere  ceremonies,  and  Mias  read  in  a  language 
not  underllood  by  the  common  people,  and  reli- 
gion in  general  confided  in  little  befides  the  wor- 
ihip  of  images,  pilgrimages  to  particular  relics, 
paying  tithes,  and  purchafing  indulgences. 

Church  livings  were  given  to  thofe  who  paid 
the  mod  for  them,  and  generaHy  to  foreigners. 
At  Geneva,  of  a  great  number  of  canons  in  the'  ca- 
thedra, ail  were  foreigners  except  one.  The  great- 
er part  of  the  clergy  never  preached  at  all,  but  left 
that  bufinefs  to  the  monks,  or  the  mendicants;  who 
indead  ol  explain  mg  the  fcriptures,  and  inculcating 
the  prirciples  of  found  morality,  generally  amufed 
their  hearers  with  idlr  legends.  The  great  bufinefs 
of  thii  clergy.  feCuiar  and  regular,  was  to  get  all 
•the  ni-.ney  rhey  couid  from  the  laity,  efpccially 
for  the  redemptiou  of  fouJs  out  ct  purgatory,  grant- 
ing liberty  to  eat  meat  in  lent,  and  burying  in  holy 
ground.  Chuich  difciplme  wiis  talkn  into  the 
jgrtated  abufe  by  excommunications ,  on  frivolous 
pretnces,  and  abfplutions  purchafed  with  money, 
A'.'d  the  generality  of  the  clergy,  indead  of  fhewing 
good  examples,  were  debauched  in  the  extreme. 
As  an  example  uf  this,  I  diail  quote  the  complair  ts 

of 


Sec.  I.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  t^ 

of  the  people  of  Bern  addieffed   to  the   bifhop  of 
Laufanne  in  a.  d.  1477. 

''•  We  fee  clearly,"  they  fay,  "  that  the  clergy 
"  of  our  parts  are  exceffively  debauched,  and  ad- 
**  diSedto  impurity,  which  they  pradlice  openly, 
**  and  without  Ihamc.  They  keep  concubines, 
*'  they  flroM  by  night  round  the  houfes  of  profti- 
*'  tutes,  and  fo  impudently,  that  they  have  no  re- 
"  ftraint  from  honour,  confcience,  or  the  fear  of 
<*  God.  This  gives  us  great  concern.  Our  an'- 
••  ceftors  had  a  police,  which  put  a  ftop  to  thefe 
*«  diforders  when  the  eccleliaftical  tribunals  were 
*'  relnxed  in  this  refpeft."  Ruchat's  Preliminary 
Difcoutfe.  p.  ig. 

In  A.  D.  1533  the  people  of  Laufanne,  among 
twenty  two  different  articles  of  complaint  againft 
the  clergy  fay  that  "  fome  of  them  had  murdered 
*'  the  citizens,  atone  time  two  in  one  day,  without 
"  any  punifhment ;  that  fome  of  them  had  beat  che 
"  citizens  with  their  fifts  in  the  church,  and  in  the 
*'  mid  ft  of  divine  fervice,  that  they  were  all  whore- 
"  mafters,  efpecially  the  canons,  and  debauchers  of 
"  married  women,  whom  they  refufed  to  leave,  tho' 
"  ordered  by  the  bilhop ;  that  they  often  abufed 
*'  and  fought  with  one  another  in  the  church ;  that 
*'  they  went  through  the  flreets  by  night,  (^ifguifed 
"  as  foldiers.  with  naked  fwords ;  that  fome  of 
"  them  took  poor  ^iris  by  force,  and  ravilhed  ihem 

I  5  « itt 


138  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.XXH. 

"  in  their  own  houfes ;  that  they  were  public 
**  gamefters,  blafphemers,  and  revealed  the  lecrets 
"  of  confcflion  ;  that  they  falfified  wills  in  their  own 
"  favour  ;  that  many  of  them  had  a  great  number 
*'  of  children,  whom  they  fent  a  begging,  inftead  of 
"  maintaining  them,  Sec.  Sec,  Sec,  * 

The 

*  Complaints  of  this  kind  wc  have  feen  to  have  been 
■  made  in  fcveralof  the  preceding  periods,  and  many  of 
the  abufes  here  enumerated  were  attempted  to  be  cor* 
re^ed  by  particular  fynods  and  councils,  efpecially 
that  of  Basil.  But  the  effe6l  of  the  orders  and  regulati- 
ons that  were  given  for  this  purpofe  was  partial,  and 
never  of  long  contmuance,  fo  that  there  were  frequent 
calls  for  the  repetition  of  them. 

We  are  not,  however,  to  consider  this  flate  of  things 
in  Switzerland  (which  is  probably  exaggerated)  as  that 
of  all  chriflendora.  There  were,  no  doubt,  in  the  very 
worft  times  many  of  the  clergy,  and  alfo  of  the  monks 
and  friars,  of  exemplary  charadters.  Literature  had 
unqueflicnably  at  this  time  made  confiderable  progrefs  ; 
and  certainly  the  clergy  in  general  excelled  the  laity  in 
this  refpect.  We  fhould  make  feme  allowance  for  the 
vices  of  the  clergy  from  confidering  the  character  of  the 
times  in  which  they  lived.  And  it  would  be  againft  all 
probability  to  fuppofe  that  the  wealthy  clergy  were  ever 
more  diffolute  than  the  equally  wealihy  laity.  That  the 
chara6ler  of  great  numbers  cf  the  feudal  barons  was  pro- 
fligate, and  violent,  in  the  extreme,  all  hiflory  bears 
witnefs. 


Sec.K    the  christian  church.  13^ 

The  reformatioq  was  no  lefs  neceflary  in  the 
head  than  in  the  members  ;  all  the  popes  of  thcfc 
times  being  men  of  ambition,  and  fome  of  them 
addifted  to  vices  the  moft  difgracefal  to  humaa 
nature.  Yet  they  were  poffeffed  of  the  m  jfl;  abfo- 
lute  authority,  and  laid  all  Europe  under  con:ri- 
bution.  They  drew  immenfs  fums  from  the  elegy 
alfo  by  annates,  penfions  referved  from  livings, 
and  tenths,  fometimes  double  and  treble,  on  church 
revenues,  all  on  divers  pretences  of  religion. 

After  many  attempts  to  procure  a  reformition 
of  the  numerous  abufes  with  which  we  have  feen 
the  chriflian  church  abounded,  and  which  were 
increafing  every  day,  all  ot  which  had  been  pre- 
vented from  having  any  confiderable  efFeC  by  the 
exertion  of  the  civil  power,  always  direfterl  by  the 
popes,  it  plea  fed  God  that  a  folid  and  pr-rmanetit 
reformation  at  length  arofe  from  a  quarter  froflfi 
which  nothing  of  the  kind  had  been  expefled,  viz, 
from  a  perfon  of  the  order  of  monks,  which  had 
always  been  peculiarly  devoted  to  the  intereft  of 
the  fee  of  Rome.  To  this  reformation  nothing 
that  had  been  done  by  any  of  the  preceding  reform- 
ers, the  Waldenfes,  Albigenfes,  Wickifites,  oi 
Huffites,  at  all  contributed.  Indeed,  in  every 
view  the  concurrence  of  circumflances  that  afTifted 
in  bringmg  about  this  extraordinary  revolution 
defervc  the  clofeft  attention,  on  which  account  I 

fliall 


140  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

lha]l  be  the  more  particular  in  the  detail  of  them. 
And  as^  the  charaSers ^and  condu6l  of  the  feverai 
popys  in  this  period  were  among  the  mod  confider- 
able  of  thefe  circum fiances,  it  will  be  neceffary  to 
attend  to  them. 

On  the  death  of  Julius  II,  Leo  X,  of  the  fa- 
mily of  the  Medici,  was  elefted  pope,  a,t  the  age  of 
thirty  feven*  He  was  a  man  diftinguiftied,  as 
were  the  reft  of  his  family,  by  the  love  of  literature; 
but  with  this  he  was  a  lover  of  pleafaie,  and  had 
little  knowledge  of,  or  iefpe£l  for,  religion.  His 
court  being  a  fcene  of  luxury  and  boundlefs  pror. 
fufion,  amohg  other  meafures  to  recruit  his  exhauft- 
cd  treasures,  he  was  advifed  by  cardinal  Pucci,  bis 
coufin  german,  a  man  ignorant  of  ecclefiaAical 
difcipline,  of  the  councils,  or  canons,  to  make  a 
new  publication  of  indulgences;  on  the  pretence 
of  a  want  of  money  to  complete  the  church  of  St. 
Peter  at  Rome. 

Thefe  indulgences,  we  have  feen,  were  originally 
relaxatioci  of  canonical  penances,  granted  at  thein- 
tercelHon  o^confe (Tors,  and  other  perfonsof  eminent 
piety,  and  afterwards,  for  money  to  be  expended  in 
pious  ufes,  efpecially  for  the  recovery  of  the  Holy 
Land,  and  in  the  ivars  againft  infidels  and  heretics. 
In  later  times  it  had  been  pretended  that  this  pow- 
er arofe  from  a  fuperabundant  flock  of  merit  in  the 
church,    that  of  faints,  martyrs,    and   confefTors, 

but 


Sec.   I.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        14r 

but  more  efpecinliy  that  of  Jefus  Chrifl: ;  'his  fuflPer- 
ings  having  been  more  than  fufficient  for  the  pur- 
pofe  for  which  they  had  been  endured.  This  flock 
of  merit  was  allowed  to  be  at  the  difpofal  of  the 
pope,  and  from  the  nature  of  it,  it  might  be  applied 
not  only  to  the  remiffion  of  penance  in  this  world, 
but  of  the  pains  of  purgatory,  and  final  damnation 
in  the  next.  The  value  of  thcfe  indulgences  it  hadi 
been  the  bufmefs  of  thofe  who  publiihed  them, 
and  who  had  a  profit  from  their  fale,  to  exaggerate 
in  the  moft  extravagant  manner;  and  on  this  oc- 
cafion  they  exceeded  every  thing  that  had  been 
done  before  in  the  fame  way. 

Thcfe  indulgences  allowed  thofe  who  purchafed 
them  to  eat  eggs,  milk,  cheefe,  and  butter,  during 
lent,  and  on  other  faft  days,  and  alfo  to  chufe 
their  own  coafeffors.  But  what  was  more,  the 
purchafers  had  the  allarance  of  the  intire  remiffion 
of  all  their  fins,  and  deliverance  from  the  pains  of 
purgatory  for  all  thofe  for  whom  they  interefled 
themfelves. 

AH  the  revenue  that  Ibould  arife  from  the  fale 
of  thefe  indulgences  in  Saxony,  and  as  far  as  the 
Baltic  Sea,  the  pope  was  faid,  but  it  feems  without 
fufficient  authority,  (Rofcoes  life  of  Lorenzo  Vol, 
2  p.  2 8 2. j  to  have  given  to  his  filler  Magdelane, 
for  whom  he  had  a  particular  affeftion,  and  who 
was  married  to  Francis  Cibo,  a  natural  fon  of  In- 
nocent 


142  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 

Kocent  VIII.  In  order  to  make  the  moft  of  the 
privilege,  he  employed  bilhop  Arcembold.  who 
had  alicenfe  from  the  emperor  topublifh  \\]  i»-'d'il- 
gences.  and  who  fold  tnem  to  the  higheflt  bidder; 
the  pope  having  given  orders  to  Albert  of  Bran- 
derburg,  archbiOiop  of  Magdeburgh  and  Maycnce, 
(a  manwhoft  chara£l:<^r  refembledin  all  refpefts  ;hat 
of  the  pope  himfelfj  to  caufe  them  to  be  preached 
thr :/  all  Germany ;  and  he  was  allowed  one  half 
of  the  profi' s.  The  Francifcans  having  declined 
the  office,  he  employed  John  Tetzel,  a  Dominican, 
who  had  with  great  fuccefs  preached  indulgenc- 
es for  the  knights  of  the  Teutonic  order.  This  man 
had  a  {Irong  voice,  and  was  poffefTed  of  tvery  art 
"by  which  to  recommend  his  goods  to  the  populace, 
but  he  ^vas  a  man  of  profli,^ate  manners,  who  had 
been  fentenced  to  death  for  the  crime  of  adultery 
hy  the  emperor  Maxiirjilian,  but  had  been  par* 
donti  at  the  interceffion  of  Frederic  eleflor  of 
Suxony. 

Tctzel  and  his  companions  did  not  fa'l  to 
inaij^nify  their  (office.  They  had  the  impudence  to 
fay  that  "  the  red  crolFes  elevated  m  the  rlnjrrhes 
*'  in  which  they  preached,  with  the  arms  of  tht  p-'^pe 
*'  annexed  to  them,  had  the  fime  virtue  as  the  crofs 
**  ot  Chrift;  that  Tefzelhimfeif  had  favedmore  fouls 
"  bv  the  indui^t  r^ces  that  he  had  fjifpofedof  than  St. 
"  Paul    by  ail  his  pleaching;   that  as   foon  as  the 

"  found 


bEC 


.  ?I.        THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         143 


<«  found  of  the  money  that  was  paid  for  them  was 
"  heard  m  the  bafon  in  which  it  was  received,  the 
«'  fouls  for  whom  it  was  given  were   releafed   from 
*'pur^ato!y  tha.  repentance  and  contrition  were  not 
"  neceffary ;  Uiat  thefe  indulgences  enfured  a  par- 
"  don  for  every  crime  and  blafphemy  that  could  be 
'•  imagined  j  and,  in  fhort,  that  no  crime  was  abfo- 
**  lutely  unpardonable,  but   that  of  defpifmg  thefc 
'•  indulgences." 

Thefe  affertions  the  confefFors  were  obliged  by 
an  oath  not  to  contradi£l,  but  to  confirm.     Such 
was  the  impudence  of  this  Tetzel,  that  the  bifhop 
of  Meiffen  faid  he  fhould   be  the  laft  who  fhould 
make  a  traffic  of  indulgences  in  Saxony.     And  a 
circumftance  which  added  much  to  the  indignation 
with    which  this  condufl    was    viewed,    was   the 
manner   in  which  thefe   preachers  fpent  much  of 
the  money  v/hich  they  got  from  the  people,  as  in 
taverns  and  places  of  debauch.  They  alfo  paid  their 
hofts  and  fervants,  Sec.   with  indulgences,  inflead 
of  giving  them  money. 

Notwithftanding  thefe  ihocking  abufes,  fuch 
was  the  blind  fuperftition  of  the  people,  that  where- 
ever  thefe  preachers  came  they  were  received  with 
triumph.  When  they  entered  any  city  they  had 
the  pope's  bull  covered  with  a  iluflP  of  filk,  and 
embroidered  with  gold,  carried  before  them,  pre- 
ceded by  the  magiftrates  and  the  people,  carrying 


lighted 


144.  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXIL 

lighted  candles.  The  bells  were  rung,  andinlbn- 
jnents  ot  mufic  played  upon.  The  red  crofs, 
above  mentioned  was  then  elevated  in  the  chuTh, 
and  the  preacher  mounting  the  pulpit  made  luch 
an  harrangue  as  has  been  mentioned.  The  form 
of  the  abfolution  figned  by  Tetzel  concluded  with 
thefe  words,  "  I  re-eftabhfh  you  in  the  innocence 
*'  which  you  received  at  your  baptifm,  fo  that  if 
"  you  die  foon  the  gate  of  pumfhnient  will  be  fhtU, 
*' and  the  gate  of  happinefs  open  to  you;  and  if 
"  you  do  not  die  foon,  this  grace  will  be  re- 
**  ferved  and  fecured  to  you." 

Thefe  horrid  abufes,  however,  proceeded  ivith- 
out  open  opDofition  till  they  excited  the  attention 
o^  Mai  tin  Luther,  a  man  raifed  up  b)  divine  pro- 
vidence for  the  great  work  of  an  efFtcti.al  reforma- 
tion, and  endued  with  talents,  and  a  temper  fuited 
to  it.  He  was  born  Nov.  lo,  a.  d.  1483,  at 
IPc^be,  in  the  county  of  Mansfeidr,  and  in  that  city* 
his  father,  who  had  fome  property  in  the  mines  in 
that  neighbourhood,  was  a  magiftrate,  lefpecled 
for  his  orobity.  Luther  having  been  educafed  at 
JEifenach,  fmifhed  his  ftudies  at  the  univerfity  of 
£rford  in  Thuringia;  and  at  the  a^^e  of  twenty  two 
A.  D.  1505  he  entered  the  monaftery  of  Auguflincs 
at  Erford,  being  induced  to  do  fo,  tho'  contrary  to 
the  wifhes  ot  his  father,  by  the  fudden  death  of  one 
of  his  companions  in  a  florm,  by  which  his  own 
jife  had  been  m  danger.  The 


Sec.  I.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  i45 

The  firft  months  of  his  rtfidence  in  the  monaf- 
tery  he  was  very  melancholy,  owing  in  fomr:  niea- 
fure  to  his  ill  ufage  by  the  prior,  who  employed 
him  in  the  meanell  offices,  and  often  fent  him  to 
bc^  ill  the  city,  which  was  particularly  difa-:eea- 
bie  ro  iiim.  But  he  was  relieved  by  the  inttr^ofi- 
tion  of  the  vicar  general,  ^  [ohn  Stupitz,  who  had 
been  very  attentive  to  him  during  his  melancholy  ; 
telling  him  that  God  had  great  views  in  his  iriab, 
and  that  by  this  means  he  might  be  prepared  ior 
fome  great  work.  By  his  orders  he  had  liberty  to 
ftudy,  and  to  this  he  foon  attached  himfelf  with  un- 
common ardour. 

He  had  been  a  year  in  the  monaftery  when  he 
for  the  firft  time  faw  a  latin  Bible;  having  till  then 
known  only  thofe  paflVges  of  fciiplure  which  are 
contained  in  the  liturgy  and  breviary.  His  fovor- 
ite  ftudy  for  fome  time  was  fcholaftic  theology, 
when  he  was  an  admirer  of  the  writings  of  Occam, 
which  he  preferred  to  thofe  of  Scotus  or  Th.  Aqui- 
nas. He  alfo  read  with  care  the  works  of  Gerfon. 
For  his  amufement  he  applied  to  mufic,  diffipating 
his  melancholy  by  finging  pfalms  and  hymns. 
He  alfo  exercifed  himfelf  in  the  art  of  turnery, 
and  ufed  to  fay,  that  in  all  events,  he  could  get  his 
living  by  the  labour  of  his  hands. 

In  A.  D.  1507,    Luther  :ook  holy  orders,  and 

the  yen  following  he  was  called   to  teach  philofo- 

Vol.  V.  K  phy 


146  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXII. 

phy  at  the  univerfity  of  Wittemberg,  where  he 
greatly  diftinguiflied  himfelf  by  Kls  fuperior  know- 
ledge, and  accutenefs,  and  alfo  by  the  freedom  of 
his  fentiments ;  which  led  one  Martin  Polichiu?, 
who  had  himfelf  acquned  fo  much  reputation  as  to 
have  got  the  title  of  the  light  of  the  -world,  to  fay 
that  this  young  monk  would  diflurb  the  doftors, 
and  change  the  fyflem  of  the  fchools. 

On  occaiion  of  fome   difference   in  his  order, 
Luther   was    fent   to  Rome,    wh«re  he  was  much 
ftiocked  at  the  impiety  of  the  Italian  pricfls;  who 
feeing   him  officiate  with  much  devotion,  laughed 
at  him,  and  bid  him  make  more  halle.     On  his 
return  he  was   made  do£lor  of  divinity     06lober 
ig,  A.  D.   1512.     He  then  applied  himfelf  to  the 
ftudy  of  the  Greek  and  Hebrew,  that  he  might  read 
the  fcriptures  in  the  languages  in  which  they  were 
written.      On     this     he    abandoned     fcholaftic 
theology,    and  the    philofophy   of   Ariftotle,    as 
abounding  with  vain  fubtleties ;  and  as    he  always 
delivered   his   fentiments    with  great  freedom,  he 
was  fufpe£led  of  herefy  fome  years  befoie  his  dif- 
pute  about  indulgences.     At  this  time  his  le£lures 
were  much  crowded,  being  heard  with  much  ad- 
miration to  explain  the  fcriptures   in  a  plain  and 
clear  manner,  without  any  of  the  terms  ufed  in  the 
fchools;  and  ufing  no  authorities  for  his  opinions 

befides 


Sic.  I.        THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        ur 

befides  the  fcriptures  themlelves,  or  the  writings  of 
chriflian  fathers,  a  method  of  teaching  then  quite 
new. 

In  a  very  early  period  Luther  embraced  the 
do6lrine  of  juflification  by  faith  without  works, 
having  been  taught  it  by  an  old  monk,  who  com- 
forted him  in  his  (icknefs;  and  his  reading  of  the 
fc.  iptures,  together  with  ihe  works  of  Aullin,  con- 
fimed  him  in  that  opinion.  And  he  then  pub- 
lifhed  fome  thefes  on  the  fubjeft  of  free-will.  Be- 
ing ordered  by  his  general  Stupitz  to  vifit  the 
monafleries  in  Mifnia  and  Thuringia,  he  explained 
his  fentimenti  with  fo  much  freedom  that  he  gave 
great  ofFcnce  to  George  duke  of  Saxon)',  before 
whom  he  preached,  fo  that  from  that  time  he  con- 
ceived a  great  dillike  to  him.  He  alfomade  him- 
felf  obnoxious  to  the  Dominicans  by  the  contempt 
which  he  exprefTed  for  Th.  Aquinas. 

Such  was  the  charader,  the  general  condu6l, 
and  fentiments  of  Luther,  when  Telzel,  in  a.  d. 
1517,  c^me  to  publifli  his  indulgences  in  the  diocefe 
of  Magdeburg.  Luther  had  not  at  that  time  given 
any  particular  attention  to  the  lubjecl ;  but  feeing 
the  people  crowding  to  buy  them,  he  faid,  in  his 
fermon,  that  there  were  things  more  pleafing  to 
God,  and  of  more  importance  to  faivation,  than 
running  in  fuch  crowds  to  purchafe  pardons.  The 
cleftor,  however,  who  had  at  great  expence  pro- 
K  2  cured 


us  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXII. 

cured  for  his  church  of  AH  Saints  many  rehcs  and 
indulgences,  in  order  to  draw  the  devotion  of  -he 
people  to  it,  not  being  pleafed  with  the  liberry  he 
took,  Luther,  who  was  unwilling  to  offend  him, 
and  who  was  not  as  yet  apprized  ot  the  mai^nifudc 
of  the  evil,  ^'  as  Qlent  on  the  fubjeft.  But  his  atten- 
tion was  forcibly  recalled  to  it  by  the  reports  of 
the  extreme  rapacioufnefs.  and  the  Icandalous  lives 
of  thofe  who  pub  ifhcd  thefe  mdulgences.  and 
efpeciaily  by  fome  who  confelFed  to  him  retuCng 
to  fubmit  to  the  penances  that  he  impofed,  on  the 
pretence  of  their  being  pollcfled  of  mdulgences 
which  fuperfeded  them.  Thefe  people  complain- 
ing to  Tetzel,  he  was  much  enraged  at  ir,and  threat- 
€ned  with  the  inquilition  all  who  doubted  the 
authority  ot  the  pope.  He  even  prepared  a  pile  of 
wood  in  the  public  fquare  of  Wittemberg,  in  order 
to  burn  them  in  effigy. 

This  violence  gave  frelh  provocation  to  Luther, 
and  examining  the  fubjeft  afrefh,  he  compofed  fe- 
veral  thefes  upon  it,  and  drew  ninety- five  conclu/ions; 
but  they  were  all  calculated  to  corre£l  the  abufes, 
and  not  to  abolifh  the  ufe  of  them.  Among  other 
things  he  advanced,  that  "  the  life  of  a  chriftian  ought 
"  to  be  a  perpetual  penance,  that  the  pope  has  only 
*'  the  power  of  remitting  canonical  penances,  that 
*'  the  canons  of  penance  do  not  extend  to  the  dead, 
"  that  the  treafure  which  the  church  diftributes  is 

"  not 


Sec.  r.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*        149 

**  not  that  of  the  merits  of  Chrift  or  of  the  faints, 
*'  becaufe  neither  of  them  depend  upon  the  pope, 
*'  that  the  true  treafure  of  indulgences  is  the  gofpel, 
"  that  the  gofpel  was  the  net  with  which  theapoftles 
*'  caught  men,  but  that  indulgences  are  a  net  with 
"  which  priefts  fifti  for  money." 

Belides  thefe  logical  thefes  and  conclufions, 
he  propoted  fome  plain  queftions  for  theufe  of  the 
common  people;  fuch  as  thefe,  "  Why  does  not 
•'  the  pope  who  takes  fo  many  fouls  out  of  purga- 
**  tory  for  money,  do  the  fame  out  of  charity  ?  Why 
*'  does  the  anniverfary  of  the  dead  fubfift  by  alms 
"  if  fouls  are  delivered  out  of  purgatory  by  papal 
"  pardons  ?  He  concluded,  however,  with  declar- 
ing, that  he  was  willing  to  rpceive  inftru£lion  if  he 
was  in  an  error,  and  that  he  was  tar  from  preferring 
his  own  opinion  to  that  of  ail  the  world;  but  that 
he  was  not  fo  filly  as  to  prefer  the  fallibility  of  man 
to  the  word  of  Cod. 

It 'was  impolTibk  but  that  fuch  plain  good  fenfe 
as  this  mufl  make  an  imprefTion  on  many  perfons. 
Having  maintained  thefe  propofitions  in  the  uni- 
verfity  of  Wittemberg,  Luther  fent  them  to  the 
archbifhop  of  Magdeburg,  and  alfo  to  the  bifhop  of 
Brandenburg,  in  whofe  diocefe  Wittemberg  was; 
when  the  latter  advifed  him  to  take  care  of  himfelf ; 
for  that  in  attacking  the  power  of  the  church,  he 
might  bring  himfelf  into  a  difagreeable  fituation. 
K  3  Notwithltanding 


150  THE  HIS  I ORY  OF        Per.   XXII. 

Notwithftanding  this  caution,  Luther  preached 
two  lliort  but  plain  fermons,  one  on  the  fubjett  of 
indulgences,  and  the  other  on  repentance,  in  wiiich 
he  advanced  that  it  was  not  certain  that  fouls  can 
be  redeemed  from  purgatory  :  that  fatisfa6lion  for 
oflPrnces,  confiding  in  good  works,  ought  not  to 
be  difpenfed  vvith,  and  that  finners  ought  not  to 
apply  for  indulgence  from  them  He  advanced  other 
things  equally  folid  and  ufeful. 

Such  was    the   effeQ  of  thefe  thefes,  that  they 
were  circulated  with   extreme  rapidity  thro'  Ger- 
many; and  the  people  in  general   began  to   open 
their  eyes,  and  to  defpife  the  indulgences  as  ufelefs, 
fo  that  there  was  a  genera!  aveifion  to  the  publica- 
tion of  them ;  and  Tetzel  coming  to  Friberg  a  lliort 
time  afterwards,  not  only  got  htile  or  nothing,    but 
was  very  near  being  killed  by  the  miners.     Every 
body  was  afiomfhed   that  a  fimple  monk   fh  rdd 
have  the  zeal  and  the  courage  to   oppofe  the  ex- 
toitions  of  the  pope  and  his  mmiilers,  when  fo  many 
biHiops  and  powerful   ecclefiaflics  kept  a  profound 
*  filence,  and  left  their  churches   a  prey  to  avarice 
and  impodurc. 

But  Tetzel,  depending  upon  the  prote£lion  of 
the  pope,  condemned  the  thfefts  of  Luther  to  the 
flames,  as  full  of  hercfy  and  blasphemy;  and  after 
burning  them  in  public,  he  attempted  the  refutation 
of  them  in  two  difputjvtions*  which  he  printed.  In 
*  the 


Sec.  I.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        151 

the  firft  of  them  he  maintained  that  "  alms  given 
*'  for  the  releafe  of  fouls  from  purgatory  are  of 
**  more  value  than  thofe  that  are  given  to  the  poor; 
"  and  in  magnifying  the  virtue  of  indulgences, 
"  he  faid,  that,  fhould  a  man  have  ravifhed  the 
*'  bleffed  virgin  he  could  abfolve  him  both  fi-om 
*'  the  crime  and  the  punifliment."  In  the  fecond 
he  afferted,  *'  the  authority  of  the  pope  to  be  fu- 
*'  preme  with  refpe6l  to  councils  and  the  univerfal 
*'  church,  that  he  alone,  as  the  hufband  of  the 
*'  church,  has  the  power  of  granting  indulgences; 
**  and  that  it  was  blafphemy  to  fay  that  Leo  X  had 
**  lefs  power  in  this  refpefl  than  St.  Peter  himfelf!" 
He  concluded  with  faymg,  that  "  whofoevcr  fhould 
*'  write  againft  indulgences,  or  the  power  of  the 
*'■  pope,  raufl;  exped  eternal  damnation  hereafter, 
*'  and  the  moll  rigorous  puniihment  at  prefent ;" 
adding,  from  the  Pentateuch,  every  beaji  that 
touches  the  mountain  fliall  hejioned, 

Thefe  propofilions  of  Tetzel  being  brought  to 
Wittemberg,  were  publicly  burned  by  the  (ludents, 
to  revenge  the  airront  offered  to  their  maflcr;  but 
Luther  himfelf  had  no  hand  in  it.  He  defpifed 
every  thing  that  Tetzel  had  done,  but  he  publifhed 
more  thefes,  in  which,  without  fpeaking  of  indul- 
gences, he  undermined  the  foundation  of  them, 
attacking  the  merit  of  good  w'Oiks,  on  which  it  was 

K  4  pretended 


15a  THE  HISTORY  GF  Per.  XXIL 

pretended  that  they  were  founded,  and  maintained 
the  dofclrines  of  eleflion  and  predeflination.  All 
this  paffed,  in  a.    d.  1517. 

In    the    year  following   Luther   attended   the 
chapter  of  the  Auguftins  at   Heidelberg,    where, 
in  the  prefence   of  the  eleftor  palatine,  to  whom 
the  eleflor  of  Saxony  had  given  him  recommenda- 
tions, and  Laurent  de  Bibra.  bifhop  of  Wurtzburg, 
a  man  of  piety  and  good   fenfe,   well  difpofed  to  a 
reformation,  he  propofed  more  tbefes  on  the  fubje6l 
of  free  will,  good  works,  and  jiiflification  by  faith 
alone;   in  which  it  was  faid  that  he  difcovered  the 
fubtlety  of  St.  Paul,  but  not  that  of  Scotus.      This 
was  the  account  that  was  given  by    Martin    Bucer, 
thenalmoner  of  the  eleflor  Palatine;   who  faid  that 
he  maintained  the  fentiments  of  Erafmus,  but  more 
openly.     On  this  occafion  Luther  gained  fomuch 
of  thd  ^fteem  of  the   bifhop,   that  before  he   died:, 
which   was    in  the  year  following,  he  wrote  to  the 
,ele£lor  Frederic  to  conjure  him  not  to  fuffer  a  good 
and  honeil  man  like  Luther  to  leave  his  eflates,  an 
advice  ,which  he  did  not  forget.     In  all  this  Luther 
•only  propofed  fubjefts  fordifcufTion.      He  refpe6l- 
cd  the  decifions  of  the  church;  but  perceiving  the 
weaknefs  of  the  fcbolaflic  doOrines,  and  the  grofs 
abufes  of  the  papal    authority,  he  began  to  rejecl 
every  thing  that  was  R,ot  founded  on  the  fcriptures. 

The 


Sec.  I.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  155 

The  firft  who  undertook  the  defence  of  Tctzel 
ao-ainft  Luther  were  Sylvefter  de  Prierias,   maCer 
of  the  facred    palace,  and  John  de  Eyk,  or  Ecthi- 
us,  proftffor  of  theology  at  Ingolfladt,  a  friend   of 
Luther;    who  by  order  of  his  biftiop   made    feme 
critical  remarks  on  his  thefes,  and  with  more   afpe- 
rity  than  became  a  perfon  who  profefisd  friendlhip. 
Among  other  accufations    he   inlinuated   that  he 
was  tainted  with  the  venom  of  Bohemia,  which  at 
that  time  was  the  moil  injurious  refl.61;ion  that  he 
could  have   thrown  out.      Luther   anfwered    with 
equal  feverity,   but   tho'  without   any    refpe^l  for 
the  fchoolmen,  with  due   regard   to   the  authority 
of  the  pope,  afcribing  the  abufe  of  indulgences   to 
his  flatterers. 

Prierias's  treatife  was  in  the  form  of  a  dialogue, 
dedicated  to    Leo    X.      In    it   he  expreffed  great 
contempt  for  Luther,  and  alTerted  the  authority  of 
the  popes  in  the  higheft  terms  ;  taxing  with  herefy 
ail  who  denied  it.      In  anfwer   to  him  Luther  in- 
filled upon    his   maxim  of   trying  every  thing  by 
the  fcriptures,  which  he  maintained  on   the  autho- 
rity of  St.    Auitin.      He   now   proceeded    farther 
than  he  had  done  before,  attacking   the  infallibili- 
ty of  the  pope  and  even  that  of  councils.      He  did 
not  on- it  to   cenfure  the    power  which  the  popes 
claimed  over  the  rights    of   prmces,  and  did    not 
fail   to  mention    the    tyranny  of   Boniface  VIII, 

K  5  and 


154  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

and  the  bloody  wars  of  Julius  II.  And  as  Pric-, 
rias  had  inlinuated  that  hs  would  not  have  written 
as  he  didagainft  indulgences  it  he  had  had  a  bifh- 
oprick,  and  a  church  in  which  he  could  have  pub- 
liihed  them  himfelf,  he  laid  that  if  thefe  had  been 
his  views,  the  method  of  fucceeding  in  them  wa^ 
well  known,  and  even  refounded  in  the  ftreets  of 
Rome  ;  alluding  to  feme  popular  ballads  in  which 
the  venality  of  the  court  of  Rome  was  expofed. 

Luther  alfo  took  this  opportunity  of  publifh- 
ing  an  explication  and  proof  of  his  original  thefts, 
written  fome  time  before;  a  vvol"k  compofed  with 
much  care,  but  in  which  he  was  far  from  njefting 
the  authority  of  the  pope,  or  the  generally  receiv- 
ed do6lrines.  On  the  contrary,  he  cenfured  the 
Bohemians  for  rejcdling  the  do6lrine  ot  purgatory  ; 
faying  that  they  preferred  a  dodrine  of  fifty  years 
flanding  to  theanticnt  faith  of  the  church.  This 
work  he  dedicated  to  Leo  X,  exprtffing  his  per- 
fuafion  that  he  would  do  him  jr.flicc  ;  complain- 
in'^  of  the  conduQ  of  his  enemies,  and  the  indecent 
manner  in  which  indulgences  had  been  puljlifhed  ; 
and  avowing  his  rabmilfion  to  the  holy  fee  in  the 
moil  refpe£lful  manner.  He  concluded  with  fay- 
ing, *' I  fubmit  to  your  judgment  my  perfon  and 
"  my  writings.  You  have  the  power  of  taking  my 
**  life,  or  of  giving  it  to  me,  to  approve  or  to  con- 
«'  demn    me    as  you   plcafc.     Whatever  you  pro- 

'•  nouncc 


Sec.    I.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         155 

•'  nounce  I  fliall  receive  it  as  the  award  of  Jefus 
««  Chrift,  who  prcfides  in  your  perfon,  and  fpeaks 
*'  by  your  mouth." 

This  work  Luther  fent  to  the   bilhop  of  Bran- 
denburg,   and  alfo  to   his   vicar   Stupitz.       This 
bifhop  difapproved  of  the  fhameful  traffic  of  indul- 
gences, but  he  thought  the  doftrine  of  Luther  ftili 
more  dangerous.     Writing  to    Stupitz  Luther  re- 
minded him  of  an  excellent  remark  of   his,    which 
he  faid  he  would  never   forget,  viz.  that  there  is  no 
true    repentance     that   does    not   begin   with  the 
love  of  God  and  of  virtue.     This  he   faid    was  the 
firft  light  he  received  on  the  fubjeft.  and  after  de- 
firing   him    to  tranfmit    his   book  to  the  pope,  he 
concluded  in  this  memorable    manner.     "  I  have 
'•  no  fortune,   and  I  wilh  for  none.     If  I  had  any 
*'  reputation,  I  am  daily  lofing  it.      I  have  only   a 
"   weak  body,  fubjeft  to   continual  illnefs.      Let 
**  them  take  my  lite    by   violence,  or  in  any  other 
*'  way,  I  ani  ready   to  obey  God.     They  cannot 
*'  fhorten  my  life  much.     Jefus  my    mafler,   and 
**  my  redeemer,  is  fufHcient  tor  me,  and  as  long  as 
*'  I  live  I  will  fing  hymns  to  his  honour." 


SECTION 


1J«  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 


SECTION  II. 

The  Progrefs  of  the  Rejormationfrom  the  Time  that 
Luther  aitraBcdthe  Notice  of  the  Pope  to  the  jii- 
vanccment  of  CharUi   V  to  the   Empire,    a.  d. 


ITHERTO  the  difpute  about  in- 
clulgences  had  been  coniined  to  the  monks.  The 
grandees,  indeed,  as  wel!  as  the  cominon  people, 
had  been  fpe£ialors,  but  they  had  taken  no  part 
in  it.  .  And  had  the  pope  contented  himfelf  with 
impoung  filenceon  thedifputants,  the  affair  might 
hai^e  proceeded  no  farther.  Leo  himfelf  is  faid  to 
have  been  inclined  to  this  meafure  3  faying  that 
Luther  was  a  rnan  of  fpint  and  ability,  and  that  all  1 
the  difpute  ara'e  from  the  quarrels  and  jealoufies  of  . 
the  monks.  Bat,  happily  for  the  intereft  of  the 
reformation,  and  the  progrefs  of  truth,  he  was  over- 
come by  the  importunity  of  the  Dominicans,  and 
cfpecially  of  Tames  Hochftrat,  of  the  monaftery  of 
Louvain;  who  told  him  that  his  au'hority  and  his 
intereft  were  at  flake.  He,  therefore,  proceeded 
fo  far  as  to  cite  Luther  to  appear  before  him  ;  but 
perhaps  without  inteuJing  him  any  harm,  Lu- 
ther 


Sec.  II.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         15/ 

th^r,  however,  when  he  received  the  cit;\tion,  which 
was  in  Auj^uH.  8,  a.  d,  1518,  concludrd  that  his 
ruin  was  determined,  but  he  did^noton  that  account 
hefitate  in  forming  his  rcfolution.  Writing  to 
George  Spalatin,  a  perfon  of  great  authority  in 
the  court  of  the  eleftor  of  Saxony,  who  had  been 
tutor  to  his  nephew,  and  to  the  duke  of  Lun-.n- 
burg,  he  faid  he  was  able  to  defend  himfelf,  that 
he  did  not  expeft  to  efcape  violence,  but  that,  at 
all  events,  the  truth  fhould  be  defended.  This  he 
wrote  when  he  had  no  expectation  of  prote6lion 
from  the  ele6lor,  or  any  other  perfon, 

Stupitz,  writing  to  him  at  this  time,  fays, 
*'  The  world  is  violently  fet  againfl;  the  truth,  it 
"  has  few  protedors,  and  thofe  very  timid.  I  am 
"  of  opinion  that  you  quit  Wictemberg  for  feme 
*'  time,  and  come  to  me,  that  we  may  live  and  die 
*•'  together.  Your  prince  is  of  the  fame  opinion. 
"  That  is  enough."  The  eleaor  was  not  a  little 
embarraffed,  as  he  did  not  wifh  to  quarrel  with  the 
pope,  who  had  ordered  him,  on  the  obedience 
which  he  owed  to  the  church  of  Rome,  to  deliver 
the  heretic  Luther  into  his  hands.  Cajetan,  his 
legate  in  Germany,  alfo  had  orders  to  require  all 
perfons,  ecclefiaflical  or  fecular,  the  emperor  alone 
excepted,  to  deliver  him  up,  and  that  under  pain 
of  excommunication,  interdift,  and  deprivation 
of   goods  and  dignity  to   any   who   fhould  afford 

him 


158  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

him  retreat  or  proteaion.    Accordingly  the  ekaor 
promifed  to  fend  Luther  to  Rome. 

The  diet  of  the  empire  was  this  year  held  at 
Augfburg,  and  one  of  the  commiflions  which  the 
legate  Cajetan  had  was  to  terminate  the  affasr  of 
Luther,  and  if  pofTible  by  inducing  him  to  retra£b 
what  he  had  advanced.  If  he  refufed  to  do  this, 
he  was  to  demand  him  of  the  eleftor  ;  and  it  he 
fhould  refufe  to  give  him  up,  he  was  to  excommu- 
nicate Luther  and  all  his  adherents.  In  order  to 
accomplifh  this,  he  had  prevailed  upon  the  emper- 
or Maximilian  (who,  however,  was  known  to  have 
an  efteem  for  Luther)  to  promife  that  if  he  Omuld 
be  condemned, he  would  fee  that  the  fentence  fhould 
be  executed. 

Luther,  knowing  that  at  Rome  his  enemies 
would  be  his  judges,  got  Spalatin  to  entreat  the 
eledor  to  obtain  the  pope's  leave  to  have  commif- 
fioners  appointed  to  examine  hitn  in  Germany. 
But  all  that  could  be  done  was  to  have  the  legates 
take  cognizance  of  the  atfaii  at  the  time  of  the  diet. 
Accordingly,  Luthei  being  afTuref^  by  the  elt  ftor, 
that  he  fhould  not  be  fent  to  Rome,  went  to  Augf- 
burgh.  But  previous  to  this  he  had  given  more 
offence  by  the  publication  of  a  fermon  on  the  a- 
bufe  of  excommunication,  in  which  he  maintained 
that  an  unjuft  excommunication  does  not  deprive 
a  chriftian  of  conimunion  with   Jcfus    Chrift,  and 

that 


Sbg.  II.        THE  CHRISTIA.N  CHURCH.       t59 

that  fuch  an  excommunication,  endured  with  pati- 
ance  and  humility,  is  the  gieateft;  virfue.  He  af- 
ferted,  however,  that  men  ought  to  bear  with  pati- 
ence the  chaftifements  of  the  church,  fince  it  was 
the  power  of  Jefus  Cbrift  which  (he  exercifed, 
tho'  it  might  be  in  the  hands  of  Herods,  or  of 
Pilatcs. 

Before  he  fet  out,  the  members  of  the  univerfity 
of  Wittcmberg,  which  Luther  had  aheady  made 
very  famous,  wrote  to  the  pope  in  his  favour;  af- 
furing  his  holinefs  that  he  was  orthodox,  and  faith- 
ful to  the  holy  fee  ;  and  they  requefled  Charles 
de  Miltitz  to  inlerpofe  his  good  offices  in  his  fa- 
vour. But  this  produced  no  good  efFcd,  and  Ca- 
jetan  h.ad  orders  to  in fi [I  on  Luther'^  recantation. 
This  prelate,  however,  endeavoured  in  the  firfl 
inftance,  to  get  Luther  into  his  power,  that  he  might 
fend  him  to  Rome;  but  Luther,  apprized  of  his 
danger,  declined  feeing  him  till  he  had  obtained  a 
fdfe  conduct  of  the  emperor,  which  was  readily 
granted,  and  the  pope  and  the  cardmal  thought 
proper  to  difTemble  their  chagrin. 

Luther  being  introduced  to  Cajetan,  which 
was  on  the  12th  of  0£lober,  was  willing  to  fpeak 
on  his  knees  before  him  ;  but  the  cardmal  very  po- 
litely would  not  fufFer  it.  Hovvever,  after  hearing 
him  with  great  patience,  he  required  of  him  three 
things,  thai  he  fhould  retra^l  what  hs  had  advanc- 
ed 


16o  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXH. 

ed  refpefling  indulgences  and  juftification  by 
faith  alone,  that  he  fhould  keep  rhlence  on 
the  fubjed  for  the  future,  and  in  general  refrain 
from  aay  thing  that  might  difturb  the  church. 
But  gradually,  and  without  defign,  entering  mto  a 
difpute  on  the  fubj.  61$,  Cajetan  appea-cd  to  be 
altogether  unacqu;unted  with  the  fcriptures,  to 
which  Luther  conftantly  appealed,  and  mlifled 
chiefly  on  the  bull  of  Clement  VI,  in  which  Lu- 
ther faid  that  the  fcriptures  were  talfely  quoted  ; 
and  to  this  bull  he  oppofed  the  fentiments  ot  the 
faculty  of  theology  at  Paris,  and  the  writings  of 
Gerfon.  Cajetan,  provoked  at  this,  faid  they 
would  chaftife  the  divines  at  Paris,  and  that  Ger- 
fon and  his  difciples  were  condemned  already.  In 
this  altercation  the  cardinal  did  not  fail  to  magnify 
the  authority  of  the  pope,  as  fuperior  to  that  of  the 
councils,  or  even  that  of  the  fcriptures. 

The  next  day  Luther  again  waited  upon  the 
cardinal,  accompanied  by  four  councellors  of  the 
cm.pire,  a  notary,  and  another  witnefs,  when  he 
read  a  proteftation  of  refpedt  for  the  Roman  fee, 
but  declared  that,  being  perfuaded  that  he  had  not 
advanced  any  thing  but  what  was  orthodox,  ne 
could  not  retraft  till  he  was  convinced  of  his  error ; 
that  he  v/as  willing  to  appear  before  any  proper 
tribunal,  to  give  an  account  of  his  writings,  and 
that  he  would  fubmit  to  the  judgment  of  the  uni- 

verliticr 


Stc.  II.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        161 

verfities  of  Bafil,  Fiiburg,  Louvain,  and  Paris. 
The  cardinal,  paying  no  attention  to  this,  refumed 
the  difpute,  without  giving  Luther  time  to  reply; 
when  both  Stupitz  and  Luther  afked  leave  to  defend 
themfelves  in  writing,  Luther  faying  that  they  had 
difputed  enough  the  day  before  To  this  the  car- 
dinal, recoll«£ling  the  part  he  ought  to  have  afled, 
faid  he  had  not  been  difputing,  he  had  only  been 
inftrufting  him,  and  that  with  gentlencfs,  out  of 
regard  to  his  illuftrious  prince  Frederic.  Confid- 
ing too  much  in  his  poweri,  he  had  gone  out  of 
his  province  oi  judge,  to  which  it  had  been  his 
wifdom  to  have  adhered. 

In  this  laft  interview  Luther  pfefented  his  an- 
fwer  in  ^writing  to  the  cardinal's  objections,  in 
which  he  fuflSciently  fliewed  his  unwillingnefs  to 
quarrel  with  the  court  of  Rome.  For  he  oonclu- 
ded  with  expreffing  his  fubmifiion  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  church,  i)n«  dehred  the  legate  to  in- 
ftrud  him,  ai»d  intercede  with  the  pope  for  him, 
**  to  have'compaflTion  on  a  foul  that  only  fought  the 
"  truth,  and  who  refufed  to  retra6it  only  becaufe  he 
"  could  not  do  it  without  prevarication."  The  le- 
gate received  this  aniwer  with  difdain,  and  only 
laid  that  he  fhouid  fend  it  to  the  pope.  But  re- 
fuming  the  difpute,  Lu.her  by  his  acute  remarks 
on  the  bull  of  pupe  Clement,  which  he  had  re- 
queflc  >  to  be  read,  greatly  cmbairaffed  the  legate; 

Vot.  V.  L  vrho 


162  THE  HIS  TORY  OF         Per.  XXIL 

V'l.o  finding  himfelfurcquai  to  the  conteft,  fent  for 
S'upi'z,  and  ordered  him  to  employ  all  the  autho- 
r>ty  he  had  over  Lather.  This  he  promifcd  to 
do.  bat  when  the  legate  defired  him  to  convince 
Luther  out  of  the  fcriptures,  he  replied  that  that 
was  above  his  flrength  ;  tor  that  he  was  not  com- 
parable to  Luther  either  for  genius  or  knowledge 
of  the  fcriptures.  Btfides,  in  order  that  he  mi^ht 
not  be  refponfible  for  the  confeqaencts,  he  had  ab- 
folved  Luther  from  his  vow  of  obedience, 

Stupitz,  willing  to  heal  this  breach,  joined 
with  Lincius  in  perfuading  Luther  to  give  fatisfac- 
tion  to  the  cardinal  ;  and  he  fo  far  yielded  to  them, 
that  he  wrote  him  a  letter,  in  which  he  aflced  par- 
don for  the  irreverance  with  which  he  had  treated 
the  pope,  blaming  the  violence  of  his  enemies. 
He  alio  promifed  to  keep  filence,  and  fubmit  to 
the  authority  of  others,  tho'  not  to  that  of  Th, 
Aqii'nas;  and  faid  he  was  ready  to  do  every  thing 
except  diredlly  retra£ling  what  he  had  advanced, 
provided  his  enemies  would  be  more  moderate. 

Hearing  nothing  from  the  cardinal,  Luther  ap- 
pealed from  the  fentence  of  the  pope,  to  the  pope 
heter  informed,  and  leaving  his  appeal  with  a  pub- 
lic notary,  withdrew  privately  from  Augfburg ; 
and  when  he  was  got  to  Nuremberg,  he  was  for  the 
fit  ft  time  apprized  of  the  danger  he  had  been  in, 
the  cardinal  having  had  abfolute  orders   to  feize 

him 


Sec.  II.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         163 

him,  and  fend  him  to  Rome.  This  provoked  him 
fo  much,  that  lit  faid  that  fuch  an  order  ci  uld  only 
come  from  a  villain.  Stupitz  and  Lmcius  fet  out 
after  him,  without  taking  leave  of  the  legate  ;  and 
the  former,  fearing  to  fuffcr  for  permitting  Lathed 
to  eicape  fought  an  afvlum  in  Saxony.  When 
Luthtr  was  gone,  the  notary,  not  daring  to  carry 
his  rippe.d  fo  trie  cardmal,  exp^fed  it  in  the  public 
fq.iare  of  the  city.  But  he,  without  taking  any 
notice  of  it,  wrote  to  the  eleflor,  reproachmg  him 
with  procuring  a  fafe  condu6l  tor  a  heretic  already 
condemned,  and  with  much  haughdnefs  demanded 
of  him  either  to  banifh  Luther  from  his  eflaes,  or 
fend  him  to  Rome.  Theele6lor,  offended  at  this 
conduft,  only  fent  the  letter  to  Luther  with  orders 
to  anfwer  it. 

The  meafures  of  the  cardinal  having  had  no 
good  fuccefs,  he  was  much  blamed  by  fome  for  his 
visour,  and  bv  others  for  his  tamenefs.  The  eledor 
was  at  firfl;  inclined  to  fend  Luther  out  of  his  ef- 
tates.  and  he  was  as  ready  to  j^o;  expreffin;^  him- 
feli  with  great  piety  and  magnanimity  on  the  oc- 
cafio  t  But  at  length  this  prince  came  to  a  firm 
refolution  to  proteft  him,  and  in  anfwer  to  the  le- 
gate faid,  that  he  had  lent  Luther  to  Atigfbu.g  as 
he  had  pr  mi  fed,  and  that  wJien  he  was  there  he 
ought  to  have  beea  convinced  of  his  errors,   and 

L  a  not 


j64  the  history  of       Ter.  XXII. 

not  have  teen  commanded  bv  mere  authority  to 
retra£l ;  that  orthodox  iintverfifies  had  affured 
him  that  his  docliine  w.^s  p-;ire,  an  i  fijially  declared 
his  refolution  that 'be  iinive-fi'-y  of  Wnteniberg.  the 
mv^mbers  of  uhich  had  declared  Luther's  fenti- 
menrs  to  be  catholic,  (houlJ  not  iolc  a  profeflbr 
of  fo  much  ufc  to  it. 

At  this  time  MdanQhon,  then  m  his  twenty- 
fecohd  year,  at  the  recommendation  of  Reuchlin, 
who  was  his  relation,  came  to  be  profeflbr  of  Greek 
in  the  univeriity  of  Wittemberg,  and  he  proved 
to  be  of  the  greateft  importance  to  Luther,  and  to 
the  caufe  of  the  reformation  in  general.  Such 
was  the  reputation  which  at  that  early  age  he  had 
acquired  for  his  knowledge  of  the  belies  lettres,  that 
Erafmus,  writing  to  (Xcolampadius,  faid,that  if  that 
young  man  lived,  he  would  take  from  him  the  glo- 
iy  he  ^had  acquired.  With  him  Luther  loon 
formed  an  intimate  connection  which  nothing  ever 
broke. 

Prierias  at  this  time  made  a  fecond  publicati« 
on,  in  which  he  advanced  fuch  high  maxims  witk 
refpeft  to  the  power  of  the  pope,  as  tho'  they  had 
always  been  avowed  by  the  zealous  catholics,  it 
was  thought  unfeafonable  to  infill  upon  at  this 
conji  6lure,  as  they  gave  Luther  a  manifeft  ad- 
vantage.      The  Dominicans  tbemfelves  were  aware 

of 


Sec.  II.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         ICS 

of  this,  and  endeavoured  to  fupprefs   the  book. 
But  Luther  foon  put  it  out  of  ;their  power.     For 
he  himfelf  reprinted  it,  with  a  preface,  notes,  and  a 
conclufion,  in  which  hejno  longer  obfervedfthe  mea- 
fures  he  had  hitherto  done  with  the  court  of  Rome. 
*•  Ifthefe,"  faid  he,  "are  their  preter.fions,  there  is 
"  no  remedy  but  fome  exemplary  chaftifement,  to 
*'  revenge  the  majefty  of  princes,  and  to  exterminr:ite 
**  thofe  monfliers,  who  would  attribute  to  the  pope 
*'  the  rights  of  God  and  of  all  fovereigns  ;"  adding 
"  If  this  be  taught  and  believed  at  Rome,    and  if 
*'  the  pope  and  the  cardinals,   which,   however,   I 
**  do  net  believe,  be  informed  of  it,    I  boldly  de- 
"  clare  that  Antichrift  is  now  fitting  in  the  temple 
*'  of  God,  and  that  he  reigns  in  Babylon,  [that  Ba- 
*'  bylon  which  is  clothed  in  purple,  and   that   the 
"  court  of  Rome  is  the  fynagogue  of  Satan.      Fare- 
**  well  unhappy  Rome,  the  wrath  of  God  is  come 
*•  upon  thee   to  the   uttermofl,   as   thou  haft  well 
**  deferved.      Let  us  leave  it  to  be  the  den  of  dra- 
"  gons,  of  evil  fpirits,  and  monfters.      It  is  full  of 
*'  the  idols  of  avarii:e,  peifidy,  and  all  wickednefs, 
**  a  new  pantheon  of  impiety." 

Healfo  at  this  time  publifhed  an  account  of  the 
conferences  at  Au^fbargh,  with  very  free  reflcdii- 
ons,  in  which  he  intimated  a  doubt  whether  the 
authority  of  the  pope  was  fufficiently  proved  by 
the  wordi  of  Cnrift  to  St.  Peter,  '<  Upon  this  rock 
L  3  "  I 


I6fi  THE  HIS  TORY  OF        Peh.XXII. 

*«I  will  build  my  church."  Befides  this,  he  pro- 
poled  another  appeal  to  a  council,  tho'  he  did  not 
intend  to  publifh  it  till  his  fentence  of  excommu- 
nication, which  he  now  daily  expeded,  fhould  ar- 
rive. But  the  eagernefs  of  the  public  to  get  the 
writings  of  Lurht-r  was  now  become  very  great, 
and  the  printer  fhewing  fomc  copies  of  it,  it  was 
publiftied  a^ai^{l  his  will.  This  gave  more  of- 
fence than  any  thing  that  he  had  done  before  ; 
tho' in  faft  this  appeal  implied  nothing  more  than 
the  fuperiority  of  general  councils  to  the  pope. 

The  court  ot  Rome,  feeing  the  fpirit  ol  Luther, 
the  applaufe  that  his  ronduft  met  with,  and  the 
protedron  of  the  eleftor,  which  was  now  dtclared, 
and  who  might  interell  other  princes  of  the  tmpir' 
in  his  favour,  began  to  think  that  they  had  a6tea 
with  too  much  precipitation.  They  therefore  wifhed 
to  gain  Luther  by  milder  methods,  and  in  this  they 
were  very  near  fucceedmg.  With  this  view  the 
pope  publifhed  a  bull,  Novem.ber  9th,  eflablifhing 
thQ  do6lnne  of  indulgences  on  the  immemorial 
ufage  of  the  church,  but  without  any  rcflediions  on 
Luther.  On  the  contrary,  his  adverfaries  were 
cenfured  for  publifhing  fome  errors  when  they 
were  only  fentto  preach  the  word  of  God.  It  was 
expe£lcd  that  he  would  have  fubmitted  to  this  bull, 
.and  have  faid  nothing  mofe  on  the    fubjed.     Eat: 

it 


Sec.  n.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CTIURCII.  l67 

it  was  now  too  late.  Luther  had  acquired  more 
hght,  and  was  determined  to  purfue  it. 

In  the  mean  time  the  eleftor  dreading  the  pow- 
er of  the  pope,  tho'  determined  not  to  dehver  up 
Luther,  took  a  middle  courfe,  by  making  him 
with  his  own  confent  a  prifoner  ;  and  then  he  in- 
formed the  legate  that  he  was  ready  to  deliver  him 
up  to  any  judicature,  that  fhould  be  appointed  to 
examine  him,  provided  it  was  in  Germany. 

When  Mltitz  the  nuncio  arrived,  and  found 
the  general  efteemin  which  Luher  u'as  held,  he 
dropped  the  defign  of  carrying  him  to  Rome,  and 
endeavoured  to  reconcile  him  to  the  pupe.  For 
he  faid  that  if  Luiher  fhould  be  delivered  to  him, 
he  believed  it  would  require  not  lefs  than  twenty 
thoufand  men  to  condufl  him  to  Rome.  He 
therefore,  began  with  praifing  tjie  zeal  and  talents 
of  Luther,  and  only  blamed  him  for  accufing  the 
pope  of  the  extravagances  of  other  pci  fonji.  He 
faid  that,  as  a  monk,  he  owed  fubmillion  to  the 
holy  fee,  and  aflurcd  him  that  the  pope  was  ready 
to  receive  him  into  his  favour,  that  h^j  had  already 
fhcwed  his  forbearance  in  dc;ferring  the  fentencc  of 
excommunitation,  and  that,  as  he  had  promifed  to 
fubmit  to  the  pope,  he  ought^if  he  was  fiacere,  no 
longer  to  refufe  his  retra61ation,  now  that  the  pope 
had  decided  in  favour  of  indulgences.  He  alfo 
highly  compliinented  the  ekaor,    and  menlioned 

L4  the 


16»  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 

the  great  refpeft  the  pope  had  for  him,  as  he  faid 
he  had  ftiewn  him  by  fending  him  the  golden  rofe, 
which  he  brought  with  him. 

In  order  to  gain  his  point  with  Luther,  the 
nuncio  refolved  to  punifh  Tetzel,  and  with  this 
view  ordered  him  to  meet  him  at  Altemburg. 
Tetzel  dechned  his  interview,  but  Luther  went 
thither,  and  met  the  nuncio  at  the  houfe  of  Spala- 
tin,  in  the  beginning  oi  January  a.  d.  3519.- 
There  the  nuncio  fpared  nothing  to  flatter,  and  at 
the  fame  time  to  intimidate  Luther,  but  he  could 
not  prevail  upon  him  to  fubmit  implicitly  to  the 
judgment  of  the  pope.  However,  Luther  believ- 
ing that  they  now  really  wifhed  that  the  differences 
fhould  proceed  no  farther,  propofed  that  they 
fhould  be  referred  to  fome  prelates  in  Germany, 
who  fhould  have  private  orders  to  delay  the  decifi- 
on  till  the  affair  fhould  be  forgotten,  and  thus  fave 
both  the  pope's  honour  and  his  own ;  and  he 
named  the  archbifhcp  of  Salztburg  as  one  of  his 
judges. 

In  this  ftate  of  things  the  eleftor  at  firfl  thought 
of  writing  to  the  pope,  to  apologize  for  his  conduft 
and  that  of  Luther  too  ;  but  on  fecond  thoughts 
he  declined  it.  Miltitz  went  to  Leipfic  in  his 
way  to  Coblentz,  to  meet  Cajetan,  without  whofe 
concurrence  he  had  orders  to  do  nothing  defini- 
tively.    And   being  informed  of  fome;^fcandalous 

condu6l 


Sec.  II.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        169 

condutl  of  Tetzel,  who  was  then  at  Leipfic,  he 
reproved  him,  and  alfo  his  fuperior,  with  fo  mucli 
feverity,  that  believin^i;  that  he  was  to  be  made  a 
facrifice  to  the  reconciliation  of  Luther  with  the 
pope,  he  was  reduced  to  a  flate  of  defpair, 
Luther  hearing  of  it  wrote  the  letter  of  fubmilhon 
to  the  pope  which  he  had  promifed,  and  he  did  it 
in  language  expreffive  of  the  greateft  humility,  only- 
declining  to  make  a  formal  retra6lation  of  what  he 
had  written,  as  that  would,  indeed,  be  of  no  avail 
to  the  holy  fee,  but  of  real  prejudice  to  it.  He 
acknowledged  the  power  of  the  pope  as  only  inferior 
to  that  of  Jefus  Chrift,  and  promifed  to  exhort  all 
perfons  to  hjonour  the  fee  of  Rome,  and  juftify  it 
from  the  prophane  exaggerations  of  the  preachers 
of  indulgences,  and  never  more  to  touch  upon  the 
fubjed,  provided  his  adverfaries  would  renounce 
their  impoftures.  In  fhort,  he  engaged  to  do  any 
thing  to  give  his  holinefs  fatisfaftion. 

This  is  ufually  confidered  as  a  moft  lamenta- 
ble weaknefs  in  Luther,  and  a  bafe  compliance 
with  the  court  of  Rome.  But  his  opinions  were 
not  as  yet  abfolutely  fixed  with  refpe£l  to  the  au- 
thority of  the  church  of  Rome,  at  leaft  that  of  coun- 
cils, on  which  it  was  in  a  great  meafure  founded  ; 
and  he  was  willing  to  comply  as  far  as  he  could 
with  the  wifhes  of  his  moft  refpe6lable  protestor. 
Alfo  he,  like  other  good  men,  dreaded  the  confe- 
L  5  qucnces 


iro  THE  IirsrCRV  OF        Per.   XXIL 

quences  of  fuch  a  fchifm  as  would  be  made  in  the 
church  if  he  had  not  taken  this  ftep.  That  Lu- 
ther had  any  fears  on  his  own  account  by  no  means 
appears.  But  if  he  had,  they  were  the  feelings  of 
human  nature,  mixed  with  conHderations  of  more 
importance.  It  was  net,  however,  wuhout  a  great 
conteft  with  himfelf  that  he  complied  thus  far. 
For  he  was  then  reading  the  decrees  of  the  pope, 
in  order  to  prepare  himfelf  for  the  difputation  at 
Leipfic,  which  will  be  mentioned  hereafter,  and 
he  told  Spalatin,  who  informed  him  of  the  wifties 
of  the  eledor,  that  they  made  him  doubt  whether 
the  pope  was  not  either  antichrift,  or  his  apoClle,  fo 
miferably  was  jefus  Chrift  crucified  in  thefe  decrees. 
He  added,  "  I  am  cruelly  tormented  to  fee  the  peo- 
*'  pie  thus  impofed  upon  on  the  pretence  of  the 
"  lav/s  of  Chrill,  and  tl}e  chriftian  name."  fJ^t  if 
it  was  weaknefs  in  Luther  to  make  fuch  a  fubmif- 
fion,  it  was  foi!y  in  the  extreme  in  the  court  of 
Rome  not  to  take  advantage  of  it. 

The  progrefs  of  the  reformiltion  was  at  this  time 
favoured  by  a  circumftance  of  an  external  nature, 
as  it  will  be  feen  it  was  feveral  times  afterwards. 
The  emperor  Maximilian  died  in  the  be-iinnin? 
of  the  year  a.  d.  1519,  and  in  the  interregnum 
the  eleftor  ot  Saxony  was  vicar  of  the  empire,  not 
only  in  up^ier  and  lower  Saxony,  but  in  feveral 
other  provinces;  and  the  univerfdl  eileem  in  which 

he 


Sec.   n.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        m 

he  was  held  was  in  fome  meafure  refleded  lipon 
La^her.      h  was  alio  then   in  his  power  to  afford 
him    effctlual   proteai  >n^  and  it  was  knwn  that 
he  would  do  fo.      His  writings  were  now  read  with 
the  grealeft  eagerneCs,  and  his  difciples  were  a(lo- 
nifhingly  multiphed  thio'  th-c  whole  empire.      His 
courage  and  his  doftrines  were   equally  admir^'d, 
and  allperfons  wifhed  to  know  f  »mething  move  of 
him.     On  this   account  there  was  a  great  refort  of 
perfons  trom  all  parts  to  Wittemberg,  and  n-any 
were  heard,  with  their  hands  joined,  and  their  e»'es 
lifted  towards  heaven,  thanking  God  that  tha:  city 
was   become  another    Zion,  from  which  the  light 
of  the  gofpel  would  be  diffufed  over  ail  the  world. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  elector  of  Treves,  being 
an  ecclefiaftic,  accepted  the  office  of  the  judge  of 
Luther,  and  the  eltftor  of  Saxony  was  requcfted 
to  fend  Luther  to  him.  But  he  made  fo  many 
realonable  objections  to  his  caufe  being  decided 
hy  him  alone,  which  indeed  had  not  been  the  pro- 
pofal  of  Luther,  and  efpecially  in  the  prefence  of 
Cajetan,  who  would  certainly  have  dire6led  all 
thf  proceedings,  that  the  eleaor  of  Saxony  propo- 
fed  to  bring  hi.ii  to  the  diet  of  the  empire,  whicli 
w:is  to  be  held  at  Frankfort,  to  have  the  caufe 
decided  there;  and   this  was  acceded  to;  Luther 

abfolutely 


172  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

abfolutely  refuCng  to  make  an  unconditional  re- 
traftation,  which  they  again  endeavoured  to  bring 
him  to. 

Luther  was  now  much  encouraged  by  the  great 
increafe  of  his  reputation,  and  not  only  in  Germa- 
ny, but  in  all  parts  qF  Europe,  where  his  writings 
were  eagerly  read,  and  with  general  approbation. 
He  was  more  particularly  flattered  by  a  letter  from 
Frobenius,  the  famous  printer  of  Bafil,  and  flili 
more  by  one  from  Erafmus,  informing  him  of  this 
circumflance.  He  could  not,  he  fays,  exprefs  the 
alarm  which  his  Vv^ritings  had  occafioned  among 
the  monks,  who,  he  faid,  mortally  hated  literature, 
ai  fatal  to  their  theological  majefty,  of  which  he  faid 
they  make  incomparably  moie  account  than  of  thaC 
of  Jefus  Chnft.  He  defcribed  their  malice,  and 
calumnies  in  the  ftrongeft  language,  and  faid  that 
they  inlinuated  that  he  himfelf  was  the  real  head  of* 
the  faftion,  i  nd  evf  n  affillcd  him  in  his  compofi- 
tions.  But  he  faid  he  ihouH  endeavour  to  a6l  a 
neutral  part,  as  more  ufeful  to  literature,  and  be- 
caufe  he  thought  that  greater  advances  would  be 
made  by  prudence  and  moderation  than  by  too 
much  vehemence. 

Such  was  the  uniform  maxim  of  this  great  man 
who  by  the  hints  that  he  had  occalionaljy  given  in 
a  fine  vein  of  irony,  concerning  the  abufes  of  the 
court  of  Rome,  and  the  irauds  of  the  monks,  was 

hated 


SBC.  II.        THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      tYs 

hated  by  the  bigoted  catholics  as  much  as  Luther 
hitnfelf.  He  afterwards  owned  that  he  had  not, 
like  Luther,  the  fpirit  of  a  martyr.  Erafrous  alfo 
vrrote  to  the  ele6lor,  to  tell  him  that  the  morals  of 
Luther  were  held  in  general  efteem,  and  that  his 
writings  were  every  where  read  with  the  greatefl 
avidity ;  a  teflimony  which  had  no  fmall  weight  ia 
determining  this  prince  to  prote6l  him. 

At  this  time  the   Francifcans    holding   their 
chapter  at  Jutterbach,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Wittembcrg,  took  that  opportunity  of  expreffing 
their  zeal  for  the  church  by  their  condemnation  of 
fifteen  propofitions  extrafted  from  the  writings  of 
Luther.     But  fuch  was  the  confidence  he  now  had 
in   himfelf,  and  in   his  friends,  that   he  anfwered 
them  with  a  threap  that  if  they  did  not  retra6t  what 
they   had   advanced,  he  would   expofe  them  and 
their  order,  in  fuch  a  manner  as  fhould  make  them 
repent  of  it.    Eckius  writing  in  defence  of  the  Fran- 
cifcans,  Luther  replied  in  an  ^pdogy,  which  was 
afterwards  publifhed,  on  which  Eckius  publiQied 
thirteen  propofitions  againft  the  doctrine  of  Luther, 
and  Luther  anfwered  in  thirteen  others,  in  one  of 
which  he  faid  tl^fit  the  authority  of  the  pope  was  only 
fupported  by  the   decrees  of  the  popes  themfelves, 
and  that  to  thefe  might  be  oppofecl  the  fcriptures, 
hiftories  of  approved  credit,  eleven  hundred  years 
old,  and  the  canoas  of  the  firll  council  of  Nice. 

The 


lr4.  THE  HISTORY  Or       Per.  XXII. 

The  court  of  Saxony  began  now  to  be  Itnciifly 
alarmed,  and  Spalatin  being  dcTired  to  inform  Lu- 
ther of  it,  he  replied  Jhaf,  after  the  nfk  hich  he 
had  run, he  had  no  doubt  of  ihe  divme  protection; 
that  he  was  informed  the  court  of  Rome  was  fo 
much  difturbed,  that  they  had  recourfe  to  their 
ufual  arms  of  defence,  poifon  and  aflaffination; 
that  if  it  had  not  been  for  his  regard  for  the  elettor 
and  the  univeifity  of  Wittemberg,  he  would  have 
declared  hii  whole  mind  with  refpeClto  Rome,  or 
rather  that  Bab)  Ion  which  was  fo  oppoled  to  the 
fcriptures,  that  one  or  the  other  mufl  be  renounced. 
He  added,  "  I  ahvays  declared  that  I  was  ready 
"  to  withdraw  myfef  rather  than  involve  our  prince 
"  in  the  d,mgers  that  threaten  me.  As  to  mvlelf, 
•*  I  ihiU  not  avoid  dea  h,  thu'  in  my  Apology  I 
'*  fufficient  y  flattered  the  court  of  Rome,  and  the 
*'  pope."  II«)wever,  in  order  to  give  forne  fatisfac- 
tion  to  the  court  of  Saxony,  he  publillied  an  ex- 
planation of  one  of  his  ''hefes,  in  which  he  admit- 
ted the  fnperiority  of  the  church  of  Rome  over 
other  churches,  but  only  on  the  foundation  of  the 
con  fent  of  the  people,  which  however,  he  allowed 
to  be  fufficient  for  the  purpofe      , 

Eckius,  who  faw  Luther  at  Augfburg.  challeng- 
ed him  and  Andre  Rodenltein  generri.'lv  called 
Caroiftadt,  from  the  place  of  his  birth,  to  a  public 
diiputation,  which    was  accepted, .  and  jtave  was 

obtained 


1 

Sec.ti.  the  CHRIS  1  an  church.       its 

obtained  of  George  duke  of  Saxony  to  hold  it  at 
Leiplic,  nofwithllanding  iheoppoGtion  of  the  uni- 
verhtv  and  the  bifliop.  Accordingly  the  difput^nts 
appeared  in  that  city  June  the  8th,  and  the  difputati- 
on  commenced  on  the  i8th  in  the  hall  of  the  caftle. 
It  began  between  Eckius  andCarolfladt  on  the  dif- 
ficult fubjeft  of g* ace, which  Carolftadt  maintained 
to  be  in  the  ftri6left  fenfe  necefTary  to  all  good 
works,  and  Eckius  with  certain  limitations.  This 
difpute  continued  feveral  days  without  any  great 
advantage  on  cither  (ide. 

After  this  Eckius  challenged  Luther,  and  their 
difputation  commenced  thr  14th  of  Ju^  on  the 
author  iiy  of  the  pope,  in  which  Luther  maintained 
from  the  fcriptures,  that  Peter  had  no  fupcriority 
over  the  other  apoft'es;  but  being  unwilling  to 
deny  the  authority  of  general  councils,  he  was 
embarraffed  when  he  was  urged  with  their  decifions. 
He  did  not  abfolutely  deny  the  do6lrine  of  p?irga- ^ 
tory,  but  intimated  fome  doubts  on  the  fubjeii. 
In  difputing  concerning  indulgences,  he  did  not 
deny  the  infallibility  of  the  church  in  matters  of 
faith,  but  he  maintained  that  this  was  not  a  quefti- 
on  concerning  faith,  and  that  he  only  condemned 
the  abufes  that  had  been  introduced  into  it.  And 
Eckius  faying  that,  tho'  induli^ences  were  not  to 
be;  defpifed,  they  ought  not  to  be  too  much  con-  ' 
fidtd  in,  Luther  replied,  that  if  all  perfons  had, 

held 


^7G  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII.. 

held  that  language  l)e  fhnuld  have  kept  an  eternal 
filence  on  the  fubjea.  After  this  they  paffc.l  to 
queaions  concerning  repentance,  abfolution,  ^and 
fatisfaaion.  When  Luther  had  done,  Carol Radt 
and  Eckius  difputed  two  days  on  the  fubjea  of 
grace  and  free-will ;  but  nothing  deferving  of  much 
notice  was  advanced  by  either  of  them. 

This   difputation,  which  was  publifhed,  termi- 
nated like  mod    others,   each   party    claiming  the 
viaory.     The  audience  in  general   were   difpofed 
in  favour  of  Eckius.  But  the  confqfuences  were  m- 
jurious  both  to  the  pope,   and   to    Luther.     The 
reading  of  the  aas  of  this  difputation,   opened  the 
eyes  of  many  perfons  with  refpea  to  the  foundati- 
on of  the  power  of  the   pope  ;  but  on    the  other 
hand,  Luther  was  thought  to  favour  the  opinions 
of  WicklifiFe  and  Hus  ;   and  as  the  Bohemians  lay- 
under  a  great  odium,   he  of  courfe  partook  ef  it, 
and  was  with  many  confidered  as  a  heretic.     This 
difputation  produced  many    writings,  and    among 
others  Melanchton's  account  of  if  to  CErolampadius, 
which  was  anfwered  by   Eckius,   and  defended  by- 
its  author  with  fingular  judgment  and  moderation. 
Eckius    alfo    wrote    to     the   ekaor,     perfuading 
him  to  burn  the  writings  of   Luther,   and   Luther 
publifhed  an  explanation  of  his  thefes.     It  was  on 
this   occafion  that,    not  being   able    to  reconcile 
James  and  Paul  on  the  fubjea  ot  juftification,  he 

feid 


Sec.  II.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        177 

faid  that  the  ftyle  of  James  was  below  the  majefty 
of  an  apoftle,  and  not  to  be  compared  to  that  of 
Paul;  feeming  to  intimate  a  doubt  of  the  authen- 
ticity of  the  epiftle  of  James  ;*  but  he  afterwards 
faw  his  error  in  this. 

This  difpute  brought  forth  the  mod  dangerous 
enemy  that  Luther  ever  had,  Jerom  Emfer,  a  pro- 
feffor  of  canon  law  in  the  univerfity  of  Leipfic. 
Writing  to  a  Romifli  do6tor  in  Bohemia,  he  faid 
that  Luther  entertained  the  fentiments  of  the  Bo- 
hemians. On  this  two  of  the  Bohemian  brethren 
wrote  to  him,  exhorting  him  to  avow  and  defend 
the  truth,  and  fending  him  a  book  compofed  by- 
John  Hus,  and  that  from  which  the  articles  of 
his  condemnation  had  been  drawn.  This  letter 
being  anfwered  by  Luther,  gave  occafion  to  a  re- 
port that  he  was  in  flri6t  correfpondence  with  the 
Bohemian  brethren.  But  he  defended  himfelf 
from  the  imputation  in  a  letter  to  Emfer,  in  which 
he  faid,  that  his  mofl  zealous  'friends  were  thofe 
who  had  no  connexion  whatfoever  with  the  Bohe- 
mians. 

In  all  this  time  the  reformation  was  greatly 
promoted  by  the  writings  of  Erifmus,  efpecially 
by  his  new  verfion  of  the  New  Teflament,  and  his 
edition  of  tiie  works  of  Jerom  in  a.  d.  1519.  This 
gave  great  offence  to  the  divines  of  Louvain,  who 
engaged  Dorpius  to  write  againllhim.  But  Eraf- 
V&r..  V.  M  mus 


178  THE  HISTORY  OP  Per.  XXII. 

mus  replied  with  fo  much  eEfeft,  that  Dorpius 
made  an  ingenuous  retra6lation  of  what  he  had  ad- 
vanced; and  afterwards  he  with  great  force  recom- 
mended the  fludy  of  the  fcriptures  in  their  original 
languages,  in  preference  to  Logic  and  the  Meta- 
phyfics  of  Arillotle,  which  he  faid  confumed  all 
the  time  of  fcholars  to  no  good  purpofe  whatever. 

At  the  diet   at  Frankfort  in  a.    d.   1519,  the 
eleftor  of  Saxony  gained  great  honour  by  refuting 
the    imperial  dignity  which  was  unanimoufly    of- 
fered him  ;    the  ele<ftors  not  having    been  able    to 
agree  in   the   choice  of  either  of  the    competitors 
Francis    1,    king   of  France,   or   Charles   king  of 
Spain.     B^ut  Frederic  declining  that  honour,  and 
declaring  for  Charles,   turned   the  fcale  in   favour 
of  the  latter ;  fo  that  the  eleftor  had  at  the    fame 
time  the  honour  both  of  refufing,  and  of  giving,  the 
imperial  dignity.      Charles   wrote   him  a   letter  of 
acknowledgment,   and   rcquefted  his    care  of  the 
affairs  of  the  empire  in  his  abfence.    In  what  man- 
ner  he  requited  the  family  of  this   great  eleftor 
will  be  feen  hereafter.     Miltitz  now  prefented  the 
eledor  with  the  golden  rofe,  but  he  did  not    think 
proper  to  receive  it  in  perfon,  but  appointed  ano- 
ther perfon  to  go  through  the  formalities  of  receiv- 
ing it  in  his  name  ;  *  and  when  he  was   urged  to 

proceed 

*  The  ceremony  of  confc crating  a  golden  rofe,  aad 
fending  It  to  princes  a,n4  pcrfons  of  diftin6tion,  ha 


Sfec.  tr.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHUUCH*        1S^9 

proceed  againft  Luther,  with  intimations  of  his  in- 
curring the  indignation  of  the  pope,  he  declared 
that  he  fhould  take  no  part  in  the  bufinefs. 

Luther  was  all  this  time  profecuting  his  flu- 
dies,  and  continually  getting  more  light.  He 
began  to  entertain  doubts  with  refpe£l  to  the  num- 
ber of  the  facraments,  auricular  confelfion,  com- 
munion in  one  kind,  and  fome  other  articles.  But 
flill,  in  his  Commentary  o>i  the  Galatians,  publifh- 
ed  this  year  A.  d.  i5i9>  hoping  to  accommodate 
matters  with  the  pope,  he  repeated  his  proteftatioii 
ct  obedience  to  the  fee  of  Rome.  In  public  he 
continued  to  explain  the  pfalms  and  the  gof* 
pels. 

About  this  time  the  reformation  was  greatly 
advanced  by  Ulric  Zuinglius,  who  indeed  began 
to  explain  the  fcriptures  in  a  manner  very  holliJc 
to  the  church  of  Rome  in  a.  d.  1516,  before  the 
name  oi  Luther  had  been  heard  in  Switzerland. 
This  extraordinary  perlon  was  born  in  a.d.  1481, 
in  a  village  near  the  Lake  of  Zurich,  of  which  bis 
father  was  bailiff.  He  ftudied  theology  at  Balil 
under  Thomas  Wittembach,  a  man  who»  Was  well 
M    2  aware 

its  origin  in  the  lUh  century;  and  it  is  generally  af- 
cribed  to  Urban  II,  who  in  A,  D.  1095  gave  it  to  Fulk 
count  of  Anjou.  Others  afcribe  it  to  Leo  IX,  about 
fifty  years  before  this.      VEnfanfs  Pise,    Vol.  1,  p. 


ISO  IHE  HISTORY  OF         I^er.  KXIJ. 

aware  of  the  abiifes  of  the  tiines,  and  efpecialjy 
that  of  indulgences,  which  he  combated  as  occalion 
ferved,  and  who  was  difgufted  with  fcholaftic 
theology.  When  he  had  finifhed  his  ftudies, 
Zuinglius  was  chofen  paftorof  the  church  of  Cla- 
ris, and  there  he  preached  ten  years,  applying  clofc- 
ly  to  the  ftudy  of  the  fcriptures  and  the  Fathers, 
and  there  he  learned  Hebrew. 

In  this  (ituation  belaboured  much  to  enlighten 
the  minds  of  his  parifhioners,  but  mpre  to  reform 
their  worftiip  ;  and  he  particularly  endeavoureji 
to  difiuade  the  Switzers  from  furnifhing  troop* 
for  pay  to  foreigners,  by  which  he  got  many  ene- 
mies. From  Claris  he  was  invited  to  the  church 
oi  Notre  Dame  of  the  hermitage,  the  moft  cele- 
brated in  all  Switzerland,  in  a.  d.  1516.  Here 
he  was  in  a  v(^xy  confpicuous  fituation,  on  ac- 
count of  the  greaJ:  number  of  pilgrims  that  reforted 
to  it ;  but  his  method  was  to  inculcate  truth,  ra- 
ther  than  dire&ly  cxpofe  error.  But  while  he  was 
at  Claris,  he  had  written  to  the  bifhop  of  Con- 
llance  about  the  reformation  of  abufes.  He  had 
alfo  fpoken  of  them  to  the  bifhop  of  Sion,  a  prelate 
who  was  himfelf  very  fenlible  of  them. 

The  reputation  which  Zuinglius  acqviired  at 
the  hermitage,  was  the  occafion  of  his  being  invi- 
ted to  Zurich,  Deer,  the  loth,  a.  d.  1518.  There 
he  began  vrith  explaining  the  gofpel  of  Matthew, 

being 


Sec.  IL      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        181 

then  thirty  four  years  of  age,  having  declared  his 
refolution  not  to  preach  in  the  ufual  manner,  but 
to  follow  the  method  of  the  Fathers,  and  to  ex- 
plain the  fcriptures  by  themfelves  ;  and  in  this  he 
united  ccfjiuge  with  prudence.  In^  this  year  he 
oppof  he  Francifcan  Samien,  who  publiflied 
indulgences,  and  he  was  commended  at  firft  by^the 
bifhop  of  Conftance,  wha  encouraged  him  to  pro- 
ceed with  firmnefs,  affuring.  him  of  his  fiipport. 
In  return,  he  exhorted  the  bifhop  to  favour  the' 
progrefs  of  truth,  which  was  now  burlling  upon 
tliem  on  all  fides,  in  fuch  a  manner  that  it  wa^ 
not  poffible  to  refift  it.  After  this,  however,  the 
biihop  grew  cool,  and  rather  thwarted  the  endea- 
vours of  Zuinglius,  tho'he  was  fufficienlly  difguil- 
ed  with  the  pride  and  arrogance  ol  the  court  of 
Rome. 

Zuinglius  alfo  addTcQed  himfelf  to  Antonius 
Pucci,  the  pope's  legate  in  Switzerland,  and  had 
four  converfations  with  him  on  the  fubjeQ,  in 
which  he  openly  propofed  his  views  ;  declaring 
that  he  fhould  expound  the  fcriptures  in  fuch  a 
manner  as  would  give  a  great  fhock  to  the  pope. 
In  this  laft  fituation  of  Zuinglius,  his  labours  as 
a  preacher  and  a  lefturer,  as  well  as  in  other  ways, 
were  very  great,  and  expofed  him  to  much  danger 
both  from  the  Catholics  and  the  timid  friends  of 
truth  and  liberty.     Many  attempts  were  made  up- 

M  3  on 


182  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 

on  Iiis  life,  but  they  were  fruflratcd  by  the  care  of 
his  friends  and  of  the  magiftrates,  who  placed 
guards  near  his  houfe  every  night.  His  greateft 
enemies,  as  thofe  of  Erafmus  and  Luther,  were 
the  monks,  in  confequence  of  his  having  advifed 
the  magiftrates  to  let  the  monafleries  fall  after  the 
deceafe  of  the  prefent  members,  and  to  employ  the 
revenues  of  them  for  the  ufe  of  the  flate.  He  alfo 
obtained  of  the  magiftrates  an  order  to  all  the  ec- 
clefiaftics  to  preach  nothing  but  the  pure  word 
of  God,  and  to  omit  every  thing  fufpeded  of  no- 
x'elty.  All  this  pafTed  before  any  thing  was  heard 
of  Luther, 

That  Zuinglius  was  a  perfon  of  fome  note  and 
chara6ler  as  a  fcholar,  is  evident  from  his  receiving 
money  from  the  pope's  legate  while  he  was  at 
Claris,  to  buy  books,  and  his  having  been  made 
acolyte,  and  chaplain  to  Leo  X,  who  with  all  his 
faults  was  a  lover  of  learned  men. 


SECTION 


Sxc.III.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        tg3 


SECTION   III. 

The  Progrcf^  of  tht  Reformation  Jr nm  the  jicccffion 
of  Charles  V  to  the   Empire,  to   the  Citation  of 
Luther  to  appear  at  the  Diet  of  Worms. 

XT  is  fomething  remarkable  that  Luther 
began  his  reformation  independently  of  any  thing 
that  had  been  done  beiore  him,  fo  that  he  was  truly 
a  great  original  in  that  way.  He  ever  dreaded 
the  reproach  of  herefy,  and  it  was  by  flow  degrees 
that  he  was  brought  to  any  connexion  with  thofe 
who  had  been  denominated  heretics  ;  but  the  af- 
finity between  bib  do6lrincs  and  thofe  of  the  Huf- 
fites  in  Bohemia  could  not  but  foon  be  peiceived, 
and  all  his  enemies  eagerly  propagated  reports  of 
his  connexion  with  them.  Some  colour  was  giv- 
en to  them  by  the  publication  of  a  fermon  this 
year,  in  which  he  exprelTed  a  wifh  that  the  church 
allembled  in  general  council,  would  reflore  the 
cup  to  the  laity.  The  bifliop  of  Mifnia  cenfured 
this  piece,  and  forbad  the*  reading  of  it  in  his  dio- 
Cefe,  and  the  duke  of  Saxony  wrote  to  the  cle6lor 
M  4  to 


I8i  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

to  complain  ot  it.  But  he  anfwered  with  great 
prudence,  that  he  did  not  take  upon  '  him  the  de- 
fence of  any  of  the  writings  of  Luther,  tho'  -^jaere 
I  were  pcrfons  of  acknowledged  piety  and  good  fenfc 
who  faw  nothing  reprehenfible  in  them. 

Luther  eafily  defended  himfelf  from  this  ac- 
cufation  in  two  publications.  The  firft  bore  the 
title  of  an  Apology,  in  which  he  ftlewed  that  the 
Bohemians  could  not  be  called  heretics  on  account 
of  their  receiving  the  communion  in  both  kinds, 
becaufe  they  did  it  with  the  confent  of  the  church  ; 
nor  could  he  be  called  a  heretic  for  having  expreff- 
ed  a  wifh  that  the  communion  in  both  kinds  might 
be  reftored,  unlefs  Pius  II  was  a  heretic  for  hav- 
ing wilhed  that  the  priefts  might  be  allowed  to 
marry.  The  fecond  piece  contained  a  refutation 
of  the  fentence  of  the  bifhop  of  Mifnia,  in  which 
he  was  very  fevere  on  two  or  three  ecclefiailics, 
whom  he  confidered  as  the  authors  of  it.  This 
publication  was  difliked  by  the  ele6loral  court, 
and  the  impreffion  of  it  was  flopped  for  fear  of  pro- 
voking the  pope. 

This  interference  of  the  court  difpleafed  Lu- 
ther, and  what  he  wrote  to  Spalatin  on  the  occafion 
difcovers  his  fiimnefs  and  the  juftnefs  of  his  way 
of  thinking.  *'  You  would  have  me,"  he  fays, 
"  continue  to  teach,  but  how  can  this  be  done  with- 
"  out   offending    the    pope.     The  icnptures  con- 

"  demn 


Sec.  III.        THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     lafJ 

*'  demn  the  abafe  of  facred  things,  and  the  popes 
"  will  never  bear  the  condemnatioh  of  the  abufes 
V  ot  which  they  are  the  authol's.  I  have  devoted 
^'  myfelf  to  the  fervice  of  God,  and  may  his  will 
"  be  done.  Let  us  leave  this  bufinefs  to  him,  and 
"make  ourfelves  eafy.  What  can  they  do  ?  They 
"  may  take  my  life,  but  this  I  cahriot  lofe  more 
*'  than  once.  They  may  defame  itte  as  a  heretic, 
»'  but  was  not  ]efus  Chrift  cortdemned  by  the 
*'  wicked  ?  Every  time  that  I  meditate  on  the  fuf- 
"^ferings  of  our  Saviour, lam  concerned  to  perceive 
*'  that  my  trials  appear  fo  great  to  many  perfons, 
"  This  comes  from  our  not  being  tifed  to  fufFef, 
"  that  is,  to  live  as  the  difciples  of  Chrift.  Let 
*'  them  do  what  they  pleafe.  The  more  they  en- 
"  deavour  to  deflroy  me,  the  more  I  deride  their 
"  efforts.  If  I  did  not  feai-  to  involve  our  prince 
"  in  my  deftruclion,  I  would  write  all  I  think 
*'  without  referve,  in  order  to  provok^^  them  the 
"  more." 

At  this  tinie  the  rievir  etiiperor  was  expcfted  in 
Germany,  and  it  was  thought  that  he  would  be 
favourable  to  Luther,  as  it  was  well  known  that 
the  pope  had  oppofed  his  eleftion.  He  therefore 
addreffed  a  refpeftful  letter  to  the  emperor,  in 
which,  however,  he  expreffed  himfelf  with  proper 
firmnefs,  explaining  his  fentiments,  and  exprefling 
the  hope  he  had  of  his  protection,  concluding  u-ith 
M   5  laying 


186  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

faying,  that  if  there  was  any  thing  that  would  do 
honour  to  his  memory  in  future  ages,  it  would  be 
his  not  fuflFering  the  wicked  to  trample  upon  the 
righteous.  But  previous  to  this  he  had  adopted 
other  conciliatoYy  meafures.  He  had  made  a  pub- 
lic proteftation  ot  his  refolution  to  live  and  die  in 
the  communion  of  the  catholic  church,  that  lie 
was  ready  to  renounce  all  difpulation  in  order  to 
emnloy  himfeif  in  more  ufeful  works,  and  to  ap- 
pear before  any  ccclefiaRical  or  fecular  judges, 
provided  he  could  have  a  fafe  conduQ;  praying 
the  public  to  excufe  his  faults,  fince  he  aimed  at 
nothing  but  the  edification  of  the  church,  and  the 
difcovery  of  truth. 

In  a  fhort  lime  after  he  wrote  with  the  fame 
fpirit  ot  moderation  to  the  archbifhop  of  Mentz, 
and  to  the  bifhop  of  Merfbeig.  The  anfwer  he 
received  from  the  former  was  mild,  and  did  the 
writer  much  honor  He  had  the  greater  expe6lation 
from  this  prelate,  in  confequence  of  a  letter  which 
Erafmus  had  written  to  hirn  the  year  before,  as  it 
was  a  complete  jufl-ification  of  his  condufl,  and  a 
condemnation  of  that  of  his  enemies.  It  (hewed 
at  the  fame  time  the  neccflity  of  a  reformation. 
This  letter  Erafmus,  agreeably  to^'his  ufual  caution, 
wifhed  to  be  kept  fecrct ;  but  Ulric  of  Hutten, 
who  was  then  at  the  court  of  the  bifhop,  made  it 
public,  which  gave  the  author  much  concern.     In 

this 


Sec.   III.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        18/ 

this  letter  he  made  heavy  complaint  of  the  mendi- 
cant triars,  as  the  great  fupporters  of  fuperftition, 
and  whofe  pra6lices  would  exterminate  allchriftian 
piety.  In  mentioning  their  artifices,  he  referred 
to  the  hillory  of  Jetzer  at  Bern.  Erafmus  alfo 
wrote  to  theele6tor  of  Saxony  to  the  fame  purpofe 
addincj  that  fuch  was  the  artifice  of  the  monks, 
that  as  they  faw  all  the  learned  to  be  againfl  them, 
they  endeavoured  to  perfuade  the  people  that  the 
fludy  of  languages,  of  eloquence,  and  of  literature 
in  general,  was  the  lource  of  the  herefy  of  Luther 
and  his  great  fupport. 

Thefe  two  letters  were  of  great  fervice  to  Lu- 
ther, as  the  writer  was  univerfally  efteemed  both 
for  his  knowledge  and  moderation;  fo  that  the 
cenfures  of  the  univerfities  of  Cologn  and  Louvain, 
which  were  now  publifhed,  did  Luther  lefs  harm 
than  the  teflimony  ot  Erafmus  did  him  good.  In- 
deed, Luther's  own  replies  to  thefe  cenfures  were 
fo  bold  and  jufl,  as  to  be  of  great  fervice  to  his  caufe. 
In  them  he  mentioned  a  nuir.ber  of  mofl  refpefta- 
ble  perfons  whom  they  had  cenfured.  efpecially 
Erafmus  and  Reuchlin,  faying  it  was  the  opmi- 
on  of  all  the  learned  that  they  had  loft  nothing  of 
their  jufl  reputation,  having  been  calumniated  by 
men  whofe  pride  and  pafTion  were  equal  to  their 
ignorance,  and  that  whatever  advantage  they  had 
gained  over  fuch  men  had  been  by  their  intrigues, 
or  their  authority,  j^t 


13^  riit  HISTORY  OF  Px:r.  XXH. 

At  tliis  time,  h^bwe^ef,  LmfKer  did  not  wifli 
w1it)'Ky  to'  abolifh  the  authority-  of  the  pope,  think- 
ing it  nifght  be  of  ufe  to  preferve  the  unity  of  the 
weftern  church ;  but  he  was  d^firous  of  moderating 
its  authority,  (ince  it  was  become  tyrannical,  and 
tbi  avarice  and  ambition  of  the  court  of  Rome 
encouraged  thcfe  abufes  which  were  the  fource  of 
their  wealth.  Td  acconiplifh  this  end  he  this  year 
publifhed  a  treatife  in  the  German  language,  ad- 
dreffed  to  the  emperor  and  the  nobility  of  the  em- 
pire, iri  which  he  Tapped  the  foundation  of  the  papal 
tyranny  by  arguments  which  went  further  than  his 
OWti  views.  The  foundations  of  this  tyranny  he 
faid  werei  three,  i.  The  prerogative  which  thef 
clergy  affumed  Over  the  laity,  whereas  the  fcrip- 
turcs  ma:de:  no  fuch  diftinQion  as  then  prevailed 
between  them,  and  laymen  might  exercife  the 
faridioii^  of  the  chriflian  miniHry  in  cafe  of  neccf- 
fity.  2.  The  right  which  the  popeis  claimed  to 
dieterminef  thfe  feilfe  of  fcripture,  when  they  were 
i$  liable  to  error  as  other  men.  3.  The  fole  pow- 
er of  calling  general  councils,  which  properly  be- 
longed to  the  princes,  and  had  been  ufurped  by 
the  popes. 

He  then  gave  a  detail  of  the  abufes  of  thd 
coiirt  of  Rome,  and  propofcd  the  means  of  re£tify- 
ihg  them  ;  and  this  he  did  in  fo  able  a  manner  as 
appeared  extraordinary  in  a  man    who  had  been 

educated 


Sec.  III.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURC^.  1»« 

educated  at  9  diftancc  from  the  bufinefs  of  the 
world.     He   particularly   expofed  the  pretenfions 
of  the  popes  to  the  giving  of  the  empire  to  the  Ger- 
mans, after  "taking  it  from  the  Greeks.     On  the 
contrary^  he  fhewed  that   they  had  revolted  from 
the  emperors,  whofe  fubjefts  they  were.     He  alfo 
dwelt  upon    their  artful   and  unjuft  methods  of 
exhaufting   Germany.     He   acknowledged,  how- 
ever that  the  popes  had  a  fpiritual  authority  over 
the  emperors,  as  they  preached  the  word  of  God, 
and  adminiOered  the  facraments,  which  Ambrof? 
did  to  ThcodoCus.  But,faid  he,  "  Let  the  emp«ror 
"  fliew  at  length  that  lie  is  emperor  and  their  fove- 
*•  reign,  and  let  him  not  be  furprifed  by  the  trick? 
"  of  Rome.     Let  him  not  fufFer  die  pope  to  feize 
*•  upon  hi5  authority,  and  take  from  him  the  (v^ord 
"  which  God  has  put  into  his  hands." 

Tho'  thefe  thiiigs  weie  well  known  before,  the 
emperors  not  having  been  ignorant  of  their  rights, 
this  work  of  Luther's  made  a  great  noife.  The 
friends  of  the  court  of  Rome  were  incxprcHibly  en- 
raged, and  the  friends  of  Luther  trembJed  for  him  j 
thinking  that  after  fuch  an  affront  the  pope  would 
never  forgive  him.  This  publication  was,  howe- 
ver, offervice  to  him  with  the  nobility,  but  hurt 
him  with  the  eccleiiaftics  in  general,  who  weric 
not  plcafed  to  fee  themfelves  reduced  to  a  level 
wi^h  the  laity.     He  was  much  urged  by  his  friends 

to 


190  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXil. 

io  fuppiefs  this  piece,  but  he  faid  it  w&s  impofii- 
ble,  and  four  thoufand  copies  were  foon  fold.  He 
added,  "  We  are  perfuaded,  that  the  papacy  is  the 
*'  feat  of  Antichrifl,  and  we  expofe  his  impoftures." 
lie  did  not,  however,  me..n  any  thing  more  at  this 
time  than  to  reduce  the  power  of  the  pope  within 
due  bounds. 

At   this    time  the  eIe€lor    of  Saxony  having 
fome  bufmefs   to   manage  at  Rome,  in   which   he 
did  not    fucceed  to    his  wifhes,  was  told  that  he 
could  not  wonder  that  it  went  fo  ill  while  he  pro- 
tedled  fuch  a  mAn  as  Luther.     But   he  anfwered^ 
that  he  had  never  arrogated  to   himfcif  the  right 
of  judging  Luther,  and  was  far  from  defending  him; 
and  that  he    had  let  him  alone,  on  his  alLirance 
that  he  was  ready  to  defend  his  opinions    before  a 
proper  tribunal,   as  foon   as  he  fhould  have  a  fafe 
conduftfor  that  purpofe  ;  that  Luther  himfelf  had 
voluntarily  propofed  to  leave  his  eftates,  but  that 
■the  legate  Miltitz  had  oppofed  the  mtafure,  fear- 
ino  that  he  might  write  with  more  freedom  in  fome 
other  place.      In  order  to  prevent  their  proceeding 
to   the  excommunication  of   Luther,  he  obferved 
that  Germany  was  not  now  what  it  had  been,  that  it 
abounded  with  learned  men,  that  all   perfons  were 
palBonatcly  bent  upon  reading  the  fcriptures  j  and 
that  if  the  court  of  Rome  was   determined  to  treat 
Luther  wiih  rigour,  it  might  pccafion  a  revolution 
as  fatal  to  t  he  pope  as  to  others.  The 


Sec.  HI.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CIltJUCH.         191 

The  pope,  fomewhat  intimidated  by  this  re- 
monftrance,  wrote  to  the  cle6lor,  praifing  him  for 
his  moderation,  but  flill  fpeakingof  Luther  as  the 
moft  wicked  and  detellable  ot  all  heretics,  who 
had  no  miffion  but  from  the  devil.  He  further 
informed  him  that  thedoftrineof  Luther  had  been 
condemned  in  a  congregation  held  for  that  pur- 
pofe,  and  that  if  he  did  not  retrafl  in  the  time  pre- 
fcribed  he  de fired  the  ele£lor  to  fecure  his  per- 
fon. 

About  this  time  Luther  found  other  friends  and 
prote6lors  in  Germany.  Sylvefler  de  Schaumberg, 
a  nobleman  of  Franconia,  and  Francis  Seckingen, 
a  perfon  of  great  wealth  and  influence  in  the  em- 
pire wrote  to  him,  dcfiring  him  not  to  take  refuge 
in  Bohemia,  as  that  would  make  hiscaufe  general- 
ly odious;  but  they  affured  him  that  there  were  an 
hundred  gentlemen  who  were  determined  to  pro- 
tect him  from  any  injury  till  his  affairs  fhould 
come  to  fome  regular  decihon.  Thefe  friends, 
gained  by  nothing  but  the  jaftice  and  goodnefs  of 
his  caufe,  greatly  encouraged  Lutherto  defpife  the 
thunders  of  the  court  of  Rome,  and  he  (ignified  to 
the  eleftor,  that  it  might  anfwer  a  good  purpofe  to 
intimate  this  to  his  Iriends  at  Rome  ;  hoping  it 
might  ftop  the  excommunication  which  he  knew 
VV2S  preparing  againft  him.  He  added,  "  As  for 
**  myfelf,  my  determination  is  taken,     I  equally 

"defpife 


iQ^  THE  HISTOHY  OF      Per.  XXII. 

"defpife  the  favours  and  the  frowns  of  Rome.  I 
**  will  have  no  peace' or  communion  with  them. 
"  Let  them  condemn  me.  and  burn  my  books  if 
"  they  will.  I  will  condemn  and  burn  their  d^r 
•'  cr^jEF,  and  renounce  forever  all  fubmiffion.  I 
"  hav£  gone  too  far  in  this  way  to  recede.  I 
*'  4ouht  not  God  will  finifli  his  worjc  ekher  hy 
*'  ipe,  or  by  Tome  other.*' 

I^uther  did  not,  however,  al^vays  retain  this  de- 
gree of  courage.  About  this  very  time,  or  not  long 
^fter,  he  wrote  to  SpaJatin  to  requeft  his  mediation 
inthebuGnefs;  faying  that  he  would  agree  to  every 
tiling  except  an  abfolutc  retra (Elation,  fubmitting  to 
ihe  brand  ol  hereiy,  and  the  deprivation  of  his  li- 
berty to  preach  the  word  of  God.  He  had,  how- 
£ver,  he  faid,  an  afylum  in  the  hearts  of  the  Ger- 
mans. We  cannot  wonder  at  this  vacillation  in  a 
man  whofe  temper  v/as  naturally  violent,  and 
therefore  fubje6l  to  extremes,  in  a  coujundure  of 
fuch  great  difficulty  and  importance. 

All  this  time  Luther  continued  to  write,  and 
now  he  publiftied  a  book  which  furprized  by  its 
title,  andnotlefs  by  its  contents.  It  was  entitled, 
De  Captivitate  Babylonica,  in  which  he  treated  of 
the  facraments,  js  nothing  had  contributed  more 
to  raife  and  maintain  the  authority  of  the  pope 
than  their  number  and  fuppofed  efficacy,  and  his 
exclufive  power  of  ?.dminiflering  them.     In  this 

v.^ork 


Seg.  III.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        I93 

work  he  reduced  the  facraments  to  three,  baptifm, 
the  eucharill,  and  pcMance,  tho'  this  lalt  he  laid 
was  not  properly  a  (i\crament.  He  maintained  on 
clearer  ground  than  he  had  done  bek)re  the  right 
of  ctrnmunion  in  both  kinds;  but  tho*  he  denied 
the  doclrine  ol  tranfubftantiation,  he  retained  that 
of  the  real  p  efence  ]  faying  that,  as  the  divine 
nature  of  C.irift  became  fltfh  without  the  flefh  be- 
ing changed  into  the  divine  nature,  fo  the  bread 
became  the  body  of  Chrift  without  any  change  in 
its  fubftance.  This  do6liine  was  called  confubjlan* 
tiation,  and  Luther  illuflrated  it  by  the  companfon 
ot  fire  being  in  the  fubftance  of  hot  iron,  where 
both  fubfifted  tpgether.  In  this  work  he  took 
great  pains  to  prove  that  the  euchanft  was  no 
proper  facrifice,  and  therefore  that  no  perfon  can 
ofFer  it  for  another,  that  therefore  the  priefl  can  no 
more  communicate  for  the  people,  than  he  could 
be  baptized  for  them.  Confequently,  that  all 
aniverfaiies,  maffes  for  the  dead,  or  for  the  living 
who  are  abfent,  and  the  foundations  which  fup- 
ported  them,  ought  to  be  abolifhed,  which  would 
ruin  an  infinite  number  of  priefts  and  monks,  who 
had  no  employment  befides  the  celebration  of  fuch 
maffes.  With  refpe6l  to  facraments  in  general, 
he  faid  that  they  did  not  juftify,  but  the  laith  which 
men  have  in  the  promife  of  God ;  as  Abraham  was 

Vol.  V.  N  not 


I9i  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.XXII. 

notjuflified  by  circumcifion,  becaufe  he  ;vas  julli- 
fied  before  he  was  circumcifcd. 

In  the  mean  time  Miltitz.  whofe  interefl  it  was 
not  to  offend  either  the  court  of  Rome  or  the  elec- 
tor, was  indefatigable  in  his  endeavours  to  bring 
about  a.  reconciliation ;  and  for  this  purpofe  he 
applied  to  the  archbifliop  ot  Treves,  to  v/hofe  judg- 
ment Luther  had  made  no  obje6lion.  Bui  this 
prelate,  perceiving  the  difficulty  of  the  bufinefs, 
referred  him  to  the  approaching  diet.  *  He  ther  ap- 
plied to  the  chapter  of  the  Auguflins,  and  they 
appointed  Stupitz,  who  had  refigned  the  office  of 
their  vicar  general,  and  Vinceflas  Lincius,  who 
had  fucceeded  him,  to  confer  with  Luther  for  the 
purpofe.  Accordingly  they  both  went  to  Wittem- 
berg,  and  a6lually  prevailed  upon  Luther  to  pro- 
mife  that  he  would  write  to  the  pope,  afTuring  him 
of  his  filial  fubmiffion;  and  Miltitz  was  overjoyed 
at  this  fuccefs.  But  in  the  mean  time  Eckius  ar- 
rived from  Rome  ;  and  having  brought  the  bull  of 
excommunication,  Luther  changed  his  opinion, 
and  informed  Spalatin,  that  as  he  had  not  aQually 
written  the  letter  which  he  had  promifefil  to  write, 
he  would  net  now  do  it  This  letter  to  Spalatin  is 
dated  Oa.  3. 

This  was  a  great  mortification  to  Miltitz,  but 
he  did  not  yet  defpair.     He  ppplied  again  to  Lu- 
ther, and  promifed  tht  elc^oral  court  that,  if  Lu- 
ther 


Sec.  hi.  the  christian  church.     19^ 

ther  would  abide  by  his  promife  to  the  Auguflins, 
he  would  procure  the  bull  to  be  revok-.  d  01  mode- 
rated, in  one  hundred  and  twenty  days.  On  this 
Luther  again  confented,  and  promifed  to  write  to 
the  pope  within  twelve  days  a  letter  that  fhoald  be 
dated  the  6th  of  September,  that  it  might  not  ap- 
pear to  be  written  after  the  arrival  of  the  bull,  or 
extorted  for  fear  of  the  excommunication.  Miltiiz':; 
defi go  was  to  go  himfelf  to  Rome  before  the  expi- 
taiion  of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  days,  and 
negociate  the  bufinefs  with  the  pope.  Luther  then 
a6iiially  wrote  his  letter,  and  fcnt  it  to  the  pope 
together  with  a  book  he  had  jufl  publifhed  on  the 
liberty  of  a  chr.flian,  in  which  he  maintained  the 
"eeming  paradox  that  a  chriflian  is  at  the  fame  time 
i"ubje6l  to  no  one,  and  yet  fubje£ltoall  the  world, 
iaking  advantage  of  (he  faying  of  Paul,  tho'  lam 
free,  lamfervant  of  all.  This  work  gave  offence 
to  fome,  as  favouring  fcdition,  and  was  incautioufly 
written.  The  court  of  Rome  might,  honrever, 
lave  borne  with  it  if  it  had  been  capable  ot  mode- 
'ation,  or  had  confulted  its  interefl;. 

But  the  conduft  of  Miltitz  was  hy  no  means 
approved  at  Rome.  It  was  thought  that  he  had 
afted  with  too  much  meannefs;  and  Eckius,  who 
was  then  at  Rome,  had  fo  boafted  of  his  fuperiori- 
ty  in  the  conference  at  Leipfic,  and  fo  exaggerated 
the  herefy  ol  Luther,  tint  he  fucceeded  in  procur- 
N  2  ing 


196  THE  MIS  TORY  OF        Per.   XXII. 

ing  a  bull  againft  him,  which,  after  much  difficulty 
with  rerpe61;  to  particulars,  it  was  agreed  fhould 
contain  a  condemnation  of  Luther's  do6i:rine  in 
forty  one  propofitions,  but  fhould  allow  him  to 
retraft  m  fix  days.  All  the  books  which  he  had 
ever  publifhed,  or  that  he  fhould  publifh,  were 
ordered  to  be  burned,  and  a!I  chriflian  princes  were 
exhorted  to  feize  his  perfon  and  his  adherents, 
after  that  time  ftiould  be  expired,  with  a  promifc 
of  a  reward  for  fo  great  a  fervice,  and  an  interdi^ 
was  laid  upon  any  place  to  which  he  ftiould  retire. 
In  this  bull  Luther  himfelf  is  treated  as  the  great- 
eft  of  heretics.  The  pope,  however,  exprefles  his 
extreme  concern  for  the  Hate  into  which  this  herefy 
had  brought  the  German  nation.  Even  the  com- 
pofition  of  this  bu^l,  tho'  exceedingly  elaborate, 
did  no  credit  to  the  compofers  ot  it;  the  period* 
being  uncommonly  long,  and  perplexed  with  pa- 
renthefes,  as  well  as  objectionable  on  many  other 
accounts, 

Ulric  de  Hutten,  a  nobleman  of  Franconia, 
but  a  man  of  letters,  and  deeply  imprcITed  witli 
the  prevailing  abufes  of  the  times,  caufed  this  bull 
to  be  publiilied,  and  at  the  fs^me  lime  expofed  it* 
defeas,  adding  at  the  dole  of  his  remarks  the 
words  of  the  pfalmift,  pfalm  2.  Ld  us  break  their 
bonds  a/under,  and  cajl  their  cords  from  us. 

Eckius 


Sec.  III.   THE  CHRIS  1  IAN  CHURCH.         107 

Eckius  having  obtained  the  charafter  of  nun- 
cio, returned  to  Germany  with  this  bull ;  but  his 
reception  was  very  different  from  his  expe£lations; 
and  a^Lpipfic,  where  he  had  difputcd  with  Lu- 
ther, and  where  he  hoped  to  have  met  with  the 
greateft  applaufe,  he  was  worfe  treated  than  in 
any  other  place.  Even  the  dukeot  Saxony  forbad 
the  publication  of  the  bull  without  an  exprefs  or- 
der from  the  bifhop  of  Merfberg  ;  and  when  it  ap- 
peared the  people  and  the  ftudents  tore  it  in  pieces, 
and  threw  it  into  the  dirt.  Eckius  himfeli  was  fo 
much  infulted  that  he  took  refuge  in  the  monaftery 
of  the  Dominicans.  Leaving  Leipfic  in  the  night, 
he  prefented  the  bull  to  the  univerfity  of  Erford  ; 
but  there  it  was  not  received  on  the  pretence  of 
the  want  of  fome  formality.  In  this  place  alfo  it 
was  torn,  and  thrown  into  the  water,  and  the  flu- 
dents  kept  him  befieged  in  his  own  houfe. 

The  bifhop  of  Bamberg  made  the  fame  objec- 
tion to  the  reception  of  the  bull  that  had  been 
made  at  Erford,  and  the  b  (hop  of  Eickfladt, 
where  Eckius  was  a  canon,  was  the  firfl  who  at 
length  publiflied  it.  The  bilhop  of  Merfberg  de- 
ferred the  publication  till  April  in  the  year  fol- 
lowing, and  the  bifhop  of  Mifnia,  the  moft  violent 
againft  Lutl^er,  did  not  do  it  ti  1  the  j'\i  of  Janu- 
ary. At  Vienna  it  was  not  publifhed  till  EaRer 
in  A.  D.  1521,  and  then  the  fcnate  ordered  all  the 
.  N  3  people 


19S  THE  HISTORY  OF     Per.  XXIIi 

people  to  withdraw  before  tlic  reading  of  it.  The 
bifliop  of  Brandenberg,  tho*  accompanied  b)  the 
ele6lor,  and  Albert  duke  of  M-:-*  klenberg,  went  to 
Wittf mberg  to  publifh  it  there  ;  but  finding 'he 
favourable  opinion  the  people  there  had  of  Luthr  r, 
and  both  the  eleftor  and  the  duke  his  brother 
fpeaking  favourably  of  him,  they  left  the  place 
without  doing  any  thing  in  the  bufinefs. 

Thus  encouraged,  we  are  not  furprized  to 
find  that  Luther  treated  this  bull  with  contempt. 
At  firft  he  thought  to  advife  the  eleftor  of  Saxony, 
who  was  then  at  Aix,  attending  the  coronation  ot 
the  emperor,  to  obtain  an  imperial  refcript,  forbid- 
ding the  condemnation  of  him  till  he  fh<mld  be 
convinced  of  herefy  out  of  the  fcriptures.  But 
finding  by  a  letter  from  Erafmus  that  the  emperor 
was  furrounded  with  monks,  who  had  prepofleffbd 
his  mind  againd  him,  he  did  not  wifhto  expofe  his 
matter  to  the  inconvenience  of  a  refufal,  and 
thought  it  would  be  better  that  he  fhould  appear 
to  have  no  knowledge  of  the  matter.  The^fiift 
flep  that  he  took  was  to  attack  Eckius,  in  a  work 
in  the  German  language,  in  which  he  expofed  his 
vires  and  bypocrify,  and  for  the  firft  time  openly 
vindicated  John  Hus  ;  having  now  read  h's  books, 
and  approved  of  them.  He  alfo  renewed  his  ap- 
peal to  a  general  council,  tlie  pope  having  con- 
demned him  wif'iout  giving  him  a  hearing.     Tiie 

pope 


3£C.  III.      THE  CHRISTIAN  C'HI)rCH.       19§ 

pope  himfelf  he  treated  as  a  tyrant,  an  apoftate, 
and  antichrill,  and  conjured  the  empercr,  and  the 
ftates  of  the  empire,  to  refpeft  his  appeal,  and  fuf- 
pcad  the  execution  of  the  bull  till  he  (hould  be 
heard  and  convinced  of  his  errors  out  of  the  fcrip- 
tures. 

Not  content  with  this,  he  attacked  the  bull-  it- 
felf  in  two  publications.  In  the  firft  he  gave  thejie 
to  the  pope,  who  had  faid  that  he  made  him  an  of- 
fer ot  money  to  defray  tke  expences  of  his  journey 
to  Rome.  On  the  other  hand,  he  faid  it  was 
well  known  that  there  was  a  fum  of  money  in  the 
hand  of  fome  bankers,  to  reward  ihe  villain  who 
fhould  afTaffinate  him.  Keeping,  therefore,  now 
no  meafures  with  the  pope,  he  faid,  "  If  you  do 
*'  not  renounce  your  blafphemies  and  impieties, 
**  know  that  not  only  I,  but  all  who  ferve  jefus 
"  Chrift,  regard  your  church  as  the  damnable  feat 
*'  of  anti-chrifl,  which  we  will  not  obey,  and  to 
*•  which  we  will  not  be  united.  We  (hall  bear 
**  with  joy  all  yourunjuft  excommunicat;ons,  and 
*'  even  voluntarily  devote  ourfclve*  todea  h.  But 
**  if  you  perfevere  in  the  fury  with  whrch  you  are 
*•  now  aftuated,  we  condemn  you,  and  deliver  you 
"  to  fatan,  with  youi  bulls  and  your  decretals." 
In  the  fecond  publication  he  defended  the  propo- 
fuions  which  the  court  of  Rome  had  condemned, 

N  4  In 


-00  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII» 

In  the  mean  time  the  pope's  bull  had  been  re- 
ceived at  the  univerfities  of  Cologn  and  Louvain, 
and  in  confequence  oi  it  the  writings  of  Luther 
were  publicly  burned  in  thofe  cities.  This  was  on 
the  da\  on  which  the  emperor  fet  out  from  Spain. 
The  fame  was  attempted  at  Antwerp,  but  without 
fuccefs.  Thofe  who  undertook  to  do  it  at  Mentz 
were  in  great  danger,  hardly  efcaping  the  rage  of 
the  people.  In  other  places  the  monks  purchafed 
of  the  magiftrates  the  liberiy  of  doing  it,  and  it  ge- 
nerally cofl  them  dear.  *  In  return  Luther,  accom- 
panied by  the  do6lors  of  the  univerlity  of  Wittem- 
berg,  with  the  fludents  and  the  people,  having 
lighted  a  great  fire,  threw  into  it  the  pope's  bull 
with  all  the  decretals;  at  the  fame  time  pronounc- 
ing thefe  words,  "  Since  thou  haft  troubled  the 
*'  holy  one  (  f  God.  may  eternal  fire  cotifume  thee." 
This  was  tranfafted  December  lo,  a.  d.   1520. 

Luther  followed  this  bold  aftion  u  ith  a  pub- 
lic juflifi  cation  of  it,  in  which  he  alleged,  that, 
being  a  do£lor  in  theoloi^y,  it  was  his  duty  to 
prevent  the  increafc  of  impiety,  and  that  all  the 
world  ought  to  be  informed,  that  he,  Luther,  con- 
vinced that  the  pope  was  anti-chrifl,  had  thrown 
ofF  his  yoke,  and  was  refolved  to  facrifice  every 
thino  to  tile  truth  which  he  had  taught.  In  this 
work,  which  he  entitled  an  Apology,  he  inferted 
thirty  propofitions   drawn  from  the  decretals,  and 

fhewed 


Sec.  in.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        201 

(hewed  them  to  be  impious.  They  were  fuch  af 
thefe.  "  The  fucceffors  of  St.  Peter  are  not-  fub- 
*' je6l  to  the  command  which  this  apofUe  gave  to 
"  all  the  faithful  to  obey  the  temporal  powers;  that 
*'  the  pope  has  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth ; 
*'  that  he  can  abfolve  from  all  oaths  and  vows,  that 
*'  he  dDes  not  depend  upon  the  fcriptures,  but  that 
*'  the  fcripiures  derive  ther  authority  from  him," 
Sec.  Sec,  &c.  He  concluded  with  quoting  Rev. 
xviii.  6.  Do  unto  Babylon  as  flit  has  done  unto  you^ 
render  unto  her  double.  The  next  day,  in  leftuiing 
on  the  Plalms,  he  difcourfed  on  the  neceffity  of 
renouncing  obedience  to  the  pope,  telling  his  pupils 
that  there  was  no  medium,  and  ihaf  they  who  af- 
pired  to  the  miniftry  of  ihe  gofpel,  niuft  either 
expofe  their  lives  in  refif^ing  the  reign  of  error,  <ir 
renounce  eternal  life;  and  that  he  had  taken  hw 
own  mealures  accordingly. 

In  the  mean  time  the  pope  ufed  his  utmoll 
endeavours  to  ^ain  the  ele6lor,  and  for  this  purpofe 
had  appointed  two  nuncio's,  ivhom  he  fenc  to  Ger- 
many to  wait  upon  him.  One  of  ihem  was  Ale- 
ander,  a  perfon  of  Jewifli  extradion,  bifhop  of 
Bnndifi.  He  was  a  man  of  whom  Luther  faii 
that  tho'  born  of  a  jew,  he  was  not  (jf  the  feft  of 
the  Pharifees,  living  as  if  he  difbelieved  the  re- 
furreQion  of  the  dead,  his  hie  was  fo  notorioufly 
profligate.  The  other  was  Carraccioli,  fent  more 
N  5  particular!/ 


202  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXIL 

particularly  to  congratulate  the  emperor  on  his 
arrival  in  the  low  countries.  Both  thefs  nuncio's 
applied  to  Frederic,  and  after  a  long  preamble, 
acquainfed  him  with  the  requefl  of  the  pope,  which 
was  that  he  would  order  the  books  of  Luther,  and 
himfeif  alfo,  to  be  burned,  or  at  lead  that  he  would 
keep  him  in  clofe  cuflody,  if  he  did  not  chufe  to 
fend  him  in  irons  to  Rome,  which  would  be  mod 
agreeable  to  his  hoHnefs. 

The  eIe6ior  heard  them  both  with  great  patience 
and  replied  that  he  would  confider  of  the  bulinefs. 
And  after  a  few  d:  ys  he  commiffioned  his  councel- 
lors  to  tell  them,  that  he  had  determined  to  have 
nothing  to  do  in  the  bufinefs  of  Luther;  and  after 
repeating  what  he  had  faid  on  a  former  occafion, 
about  his  fending  Luther  to  Augfburg,  and  the 
archbifhop  of  Treves,  he  faid  that  people  judged 
fo  differeiiily  of  his  writings,  that  he  thought  there 
had  been  precipitation  in  burning  them  before  they 
had  been  examined,  and  he  defired  the  nuncio  to 
fufpend  the  execution  of  the  bull  till  the  pope  had 
granted  that  Luther  fhould  be  judged  by  German 
divines  of  known  capaci'-y  and  probity  ;  and  he 
faid  that  if  Luther  flioulJ  be  convided  of  error 
from  the  Icriptures,  he  would  not  fail  to  do  honour 
to  the  holy  fee,  and  every  thing  that  his  holinefs 
could  require  of  an  obedient  fjn.  The  nuncio'* 
feeing  no  profpeSl  of  gaining  their  point  with  the 

elector, 


S£C.  III.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         203 

eledor,  told  the  counceilors  that  the  pope  did  not 
wifh   to  take  the  -life  of  Luther. 

Etafmus  being  at  Cologn    at    this    »ime,   the 
cle6loi  confulted   him  about  his   condud    in    this 
bufinefs,    and  in    the  grave  and   ferious   manner 
that   was  natural    to    hmi.      After  paufinp.   fome 
time,  Erafmus   faid    that  Euther   had    com  mined 
two  great    crimes,   he   had  touched  the  crown  of 
the  pope,  and   the   bellies    of    the   monks,  which 
made  the  ele£lor,  who  before  had  been  vciy  grave, 
to  laugh  outright.     He  then  faid  more    ferioiifly, 
that  Luther  was  juflified  in   checking  the  abufes 
that  had   been  introduced    into   the    church,   and 
that  his  doftrine  was  right,  but  he  v/ifhed  he  had 
ufed  more  moderation.     Soon  after  this    Erafmus 
gave  his  opinion  more  at  large  in  writing,  conclud- 
ing with  faying,  that  the  (late  of  the    empire,  and 
the  intereft  of  the  emperor,  required   that  the  be- 
ginning of  his  reign  fhould  not    be    flained   with 
blood  ;    that  it  was  the  inlerefl  of  the  pope  him- 
felf  to  have  affairs  accommodated  ;  that  the  adver- 
faries  of  Luther  had  advanced  things  which  all  di- 
vines difapproved,  that  now  all   (he  world    Cghed 
for  the  evan,fjelical  do6lrine,  and  thai  it  would  be 
dangerous  to  oppofe  their  inclination  in  an  odious 
and  violent  rranrer. 

There  was  great  boldnefs    in  this    conduit    of 
Erafmus,  cunliuering  that  he  had  come  to  a  rcfo- 

Jution 


204  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

lution  to  be  neuter  in  this  controverfy.  Dreading 
the  confequenccs  of  having  delivered  his  fenti- 
ments  with  fo  much  freedom,  he  wrote  to  Spala- 
tin,  requefting  tha:  the  letter  might  be  returned 
to  him.  This  was  done,  Jbut  not  till  a  copy  had 
been  taken  of  it,  and  this  being  by  fome  means 
publifhed  gave  great  offence  both  to  Erafmus  and 
Luther.  In  confequence  of  this,  Aleander,  tho* 
before  a  friend  of  Eralmus,  did  every  thing  he 
could  to  ruin  him,  efpecially  after  having  endea- 
voured in  vain  to  engage  him  by  the  promife  of  a 
bifhoprick  to  write  againd  Luther. 

The  elc6tor,  confirmed  in  his  judgment  by  the 
opinion  of  Erafmus,  prevailed  upon    the  emperor 
to  allow  Luther  a    hearing    before  he   fhould   be 
condemned  :  and  the  emoeror,  hiyhlv    reAjeftin? 
his  cbaratler,    being    under  great    obligations    to 
him,  and    indeed    wanting  his   alFiflance,    defired 
him  to  bring  Luihcr  to  Worms,    where   the    diet 
was  wO  be  held  ;  hut   he  forbad   him   in    the  mean 
time  to  wri'.e  an^  thing  more  again  ft  the   pope. 
The  eleuTor  with  his  ufual  prudence  declined  hav- 
ing an)   ihing  to  do  with  the   condutl  of   Luther; 
who,  however,  '.vas  far  from  having  any    objcQion 
to  appear  ..i  V\'orms  on   the  fummons  of  the  em- 
peror, which  hefaid  he  Ihould  conlider  as  the  call 
ol  God ;    and  "  ifh    great  piety   and  m.ignanimity 
he  exprefled  his  firm  refolution  to  go  at  all  events, 
tho'  his  death  lii  juld  be  the  confequence  of  it. 

At 


Sec.  Iir.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      s>05 

At  this  time  there  was  a  very  general  vvifli  for 
a  reformation*  The  emperor  himulf  was  not  dif- 
inclined  to  it,  and  this  was  even  the  cafe  of  fome 
of  the  ecclefiaftical  princes.  The  archbifhop  of 
Mentz,  tho*  a  vo'uptuous  man,  was  not  macli  a- 
verfe  to  it,  and  the  archbifliop  of  Treves,  tho'  at- 
tached to  the  pope,  had  prevented  the  burning  of 
Luther's  books  in  his  diocefe.  George  duke  of 
Saxony,  tho*  a  rival  to  the  ele6ior,  and  difliking 
Luther,  was  fo  much  perfuaded  of  the  neceffity  of 
fome  reformation,  that  he  carried  to  the  diet  of 
Worms  a  propofal  in  twelve  articles,  which  con- 
cluded with  his  faying,  "  We  muft  labour  for  an 
"  univerfal  reformation,  and  as  it  cannot  be  ef- 
"  fecled  mere  commodioufly  than  in  a  general 
"  council,  we  all  demand  the  immediate  calling  of 
"one."  Notwithftanding  thefe  favourable  appear- 
ances, the  friends  of  Luther,  who  knew  the  litua- 
tion  of  the  emperor,  and  efpecially  how  delirous 
be  was  to  gratify  the  pope,  in  order  to  gain  his 
interell  to  oppofe  Francis  king  ot  France,  were 
not  a  little  apprehenfiyc  for  his  fafety. 

However,  the  enemies  of  reformation  dreaded 
the  'appearance  of  Luther  at  Worms  much  more 
than  his  friends,  and  nothing  that  they  could  do 
was  fpared  to  prevent  it ;  and  when  the  diet  was 
met,  Aleanderon  the  13th  of  February,  delivered 
a  flaming  inventive   again 0.  Luther,  in  which  he 

faid 


106  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

faid  that  his  books  were  full  of  as  many  her?  fies 
as  would  juftify  the  burning  ot  an  hundred  thou- 
fand  heretics,  and  declared  that  they  could  not  a- 
void  ordering  them  to  be  burned  without  offering 
au  affront  to  the  emperor,  and  efpecially  the  e* 
le€lor  ot  Mentz  and  Cologn.  Of  himfelf,  he  faid 
that  he  was  not  of  Jewifh  extraftiGn,  but  defcend- 
cd  from  the  marquifes  of  Iflria. 

But  all  the  influence  of  the  pope  and  his  par- 
tiDms  could  not  prevail  upon  the  diet  to  take  any 
harfh  meafures  with  refpeft  to  Luther,  tho*  they 
thou  'ht  the  authority  of  the  pope  well  founded, 
and  only  wifhtjd  to  corre£>  the  abufes  of  it.  The 
lentiments  ot  Eraimus  being  defired  on  this  occa- 
fion,  he  wrote  hi{>  advice  at  large,  blaming  the  ene- 
mies of  Luther,  who  he  faid  were  the  enemies  of 
literature,  for  their  violence,  as  the  caufe  of  his  ad- 
vifiiig  moderate  meafnrcs;  afferting  the  neceffity 
of  a  reformation,  and  faying  that  the  old  theology 
was  nothing  but  a  heap  ofufekfs  fubtleties.  ihat 
the  people  were  every  where  longing  for  the  doc- 
trine of  the  gofpei,  and  that  if  the  fources  of  this 
knowledge  were  fhut  to  them,  they  wo;ild  open 
them  by  force.  In  his  opinion,  he  faid,  the 
only  method  of  terminating  the  differences  was  by 
the  emperor,  the  kings  of  England  and  Hungary, 
who  could  not  be  fufpefted  by  either  party,  chuf- 
ing  out  of  their  ellates   prudent   and   enlightened 

perf^KS 


Sec.  Iir.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        20r 

perfons  to  take  cognizance  of  the  writings  of  Lu- 
ther. The  pope  be  allowed  had  a  right  tc  judge 
in  all  matters  of  faith,  but  that  on  this  occafion  he 
ought  to  decline  it,  and  leave  the  bufinefs  to  o- 
thers. 

In  this  ftate  of  things  Glapius,  confeffor  to  the 
emperor,  had  many  conferences  with  Pontanus, 
the  chancellor  of  the  ele6lor  of  Saxony,  the  obje£l 
of  which  was  to  prevent  the  public  difcuflion  of 
Luther's  fentiments,  to  have  the  buHnefs  fettled  in 
feme  private  manner,  or  to  amufe  the  people  with 
fome  fliiiht  reformation.  But  the  iffue  of  the 
whole  tended  to  confirm  the  ele^or  in  his  opini- 
on that  Luther  had  much  rcafon  on  his  fide,  and 
that  he  ought  to  proteQ  him. 

The  emperor,  being  thus  affailed  on  all  fides, 
thought  of  an  expedient,  which  he  imaj,  ned  xvould 
fatisfy  all  parties  for  the  .  prefent.  It  was  that 
the  books  of  Luther  fhould  not  be  burned,  Kor 
yet  fuflFered  to  be  circulated,  but  that  the  m<Tgif- 
trates  of  each  place  fiiould  take  them  into  their 
cuftody.  Accordingly,  an  ordonaRCc  was  made 
to  that  purpofe.  But  the  magiftrates  faiJ  that 
this  meafure  could  not  anfwer  any  good  end, 
lince  the  doQrine  of  Luther  was  not  now  confined 
to  his  books,  but  was  fixed  in  the  minds  of  the 
people,  fiom  which  it  was  not  in  their  power  to 
force  it.     They,  therefore,  thought  that  the  better. 

wav 


tot  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

way  vvouldi  be  to  require  him  to  retra6l  whai.[he 
had  written,  and  that  if  he  refufed,  they  would  em- 
ploy all  their  force  to  fecond  his  majeft)*s  intenti- 
ons, but  they  added  tlieirintreaty,  that  he  would 
corre6l  the  abufes  by  which  the  court  o\  Rome 
was  ruining  Germany.  This  advice  was  approv- 
ed, and  the  emper  r  gave  ©rders  for  the  citation  of 
Lurher,  and  alio  that  a  memorial  fhould  be  drawn 
up  oi  the  abufes  complained  of. 

Notwithftandintij  ihis  feeming  moderation,  it 
fufficiently  appeared  that  the  emperor  was  gained 
by  the  enemies  of  Luthtr,  and  he  even  joined  with 
them  in  having  recourfe  to  expedients  unworthy 
of  his  dignity  to  prevent  his  appearance;  and  fe- 
veral  thinos  were  propofed  in  the  diet,  which,  if 
they  had  been  carried  would  certainly  have  pre- 
vented his  j^.^rney.  The  emperor  alfo  endeavour- 
ed to  draw  the  ele6lor  of  Saxony  into  fome  diffi- 
culty, by  advifing  him  to  grant  the  fafe  condu6l. 
But  Frederic  had  too  much  piudence  to  be  thus 
furprized;  and  when  the  fummoning  of  Luther 
could  not  be  prevented,  and  a  fafe  condu6f  muft 
be  given,  not  only  by  the  emperor,  but  by  all 
the  princes  thro'  whole  eftates  he  was  to  pafs,  he 
did  not  give  his  till  he  received  an  order  from  the 
emperor  fo  to  do.  At  len^jth,  not  only  was  the 
fiafe  condu6l  given  in  the  fullefl;  manner,  but  it 
was  accompanied  with  a  refpc6ltul   letter  Irom  the 

emperor 


Sec.  in.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        SOt 

emperor  to  him,  requiring  him  to  attend  at  Worms 
within  twenty  one  days,  there  to  give  an  account 
of  his  doftrine  and  his  writings.  No  mention  was 
mad&  in  it  of  retradation,  or  any  prohibition  to 
preach  on  his  journey.  Accordingly,  he  fet  out 
refpetl.jbly  attended,  and  on  his  way  he  preached 
at  Gothen,  Erford,  and  Eilenach. 

Still  the  partizans  of  the  pops  entertained 
fome  hope  that  they  fliould  be  able  to  prevent  his 
commg,  and  with  this  view  they  fpread  a  report 
which  was  calculated  to  intimidate  him,  and  it 
had  fuch  an  eflPe6l  up  >n  his  friends,  that  they  en- 
deavoured to  perfuade  him  to  return.  But  tho* 
he  was  at  fhat  time  in  a  bad  (late  of  health,  he  per- 
fifled  in  his  purpofe,  and  faid  he  would  go  to 
Worms  in  fpite  of  all  the  powers  of  hell.  When 
h^-  was  within  three  leagues  of  the  city,  he  receiv- 
ed a  letter  from  Spalatin,  conjuring  him  once 
more  not  to  proceed  an)  farther.  But  he  replied 
tha!  he  would  go  to  Worms,  tho'  there  Ihould  be 
as  many  devils  there  as  there  were  tiles  upon  the 
houfes. 

Another  attempt  was  made  to  divert  him  from 
his  purpolc,  by  deferring  the  execution  of  the 
imperial  ordonance  to  take  his  books  into  cuftody, 
till  the  very  evening  before  his  arrival.  This  in- 
duced   Seckingea  to  fend  Bucer  to  him,  to  per- 

Vol.  V.  O  fuade 


310  THE  HISTORY  OF  J>er;  XXIL 

fuade  him  to  retire  to  fome  caftle  in  the  neishbour- 
bood,  where  Glapion  would  be  ready  to  confer 
with  him  on  the  fubjedl  of  religion.  But  he  re- 
plied, that  only  two  days  remained  of  his  fafe 
condu6l,  and  that  this  was  not  fufficient  for  any 
conferrences  with  the  emperor's  confeflfor.  He 
therefore  proceeded,  and  arrived  at  Worms  the 
fame  day,  April  the  i6th.  His  entering  refem- 
bled  a  triumph  rather  than  that  of  a  man  accufed 
of  herefy.  A  herald  walked  before  him  in  his 
habit  of  ceremony,  a  number  of  courtiers,  who  had 
gone  to  meet  him;  walked  along  with  him,  and  the 
ilreets  were  crowded  with  people  eager  to  fee 
him.  He  was  lodged  with  the  miniflers  of  the 
eledor  of  Saxony,  where  he  received  the  vifits  of 
manyperfons  of  diflindlion. 


SECTION 


Sfife.  IV.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        MX 


Section  iv. 

From  the  Appearance  of  Luther  at  Wtjrms  in  April 
A,   D.   1520,  to  the  Pontificate  of  Clement   VII 

A,     D.     1523. 


A 


T  length  the  day,  the  fubje6l  of  fo 
much  expedation,  when  Luther  was  to  appear  be-' 
fore  the  diet,  arrived.  It  was  April  the  17th,  the 
day  after  his  arrival  at  Worms,  when  the  marlhal 
of  the  empire  wailed  upon  him  with  an  order  to 
attend  the  diet  at  four  in  the  afternoon.  At  that 
hour  he  waited  upon  hirh  again,  and  conduced 
him  to  the  diet,  preceded  by  a  herald.  But  the 
crowd  was  fo  great,  that  they  were  obliged  to  break 
down  the  pallifades  of  fome  gardens  to  make  roorri 
for  his  paffage.  All  the  windows,  and  even  the 
roofs  of  the  houfes,  were  crowded  with  fpedatorrs; 
When  he  was  introduced  into  the  aflembly, 
he  was  required  to  fay  whether  hf  was  (he  authof 
of  the  books  afcribed  to  him,  and  whether  he  would 
retra61;  or  defend  what  was  contained  in  them.  To 
the  former  he  readily  i-eplied  in  the  affirmativcj 
O  2  bvjfi 


012;  THE  HISTORY  OF      fzR.  XXII. 

but  he  defiled  time  to  confider  of  the  latter;  and 
after  fome  debate,  he  was  allowed  till  the  next  day, 
provided  he  would  then  give  his  anfwer  viva  voce. 

This  delay  led  the  enemies  of  Luther  to  think 
that  he  was  intimidated ;  and  even  his  friends, 
the  ele6lor  of  Saxony  among  the  reft,  were  not 
without  their  fears  on  this  head ;  and  as  he  was 
the  next  day  going  to  the  hall  of  audience  feveral 
perfons  were  heard  fpeaking  to  encourage  him. 
One  gentleman,  who  had  been  in  the  army,  told 
him,  that  tho'  he  was  going  into  a  place  of  more 
danger  than  ever  he  himfelf  had  been  in,  he  might 
take  courage,  for  God  would  never  leave  him.  As 
he  entered  the  hall,  which  was  at  fix  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  fome  'were  heard  to  fay,  "  Fear  not  them 
*•'  that  kill  the  body,"  and  others,  *'  When  you  arc 
*'  taken  before  kings,  and  governors,  take  no  thought 
*'  what  ye  fliall  fay,  &c. 

Being  at  length  introduced,  and  again  afked  by 
the  public  orator,  whether  he  would  defend  or  re- 
tra6t  his  writings,  and  was  infulted  by  faying,  that 
fogieat  a  do£tor  as  he  was,  fhould  always  be  rea- 
dy to  anfwer,  and  not  have  required  To  much  time, 
without  taking  any  notice  of  that,  he  addreffed  the 
emperor  and  the  audience  in  the  German  language; 
and  after  an  introdu6lion  fuitedtothe  cafeofaper- 
fon  who  liad  beeq,  ediucated  far  from   courts,  and 

the 


Sec.  IV.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*        213 

the  intercourfe  of  fuch  perfons  as  he  was  then  ad- 
dreffing,  he  faid  that  he  mufl  make  a  diflin6lion 
in  his  writings.  Some  of  them  he  faid  were  works 
of  piety,  which  his  enemies  allowed  to  be  ufeful, 
tho'  the  pope  had  ordered  them  to  be  burned  along 
with  the  reft  ;  others  related  to  the  pope  and  his 
partifans,  who  by  their  dodrine  and  their  exam- 
ple, equally  pernicious,  were  ravaging  the  chriftian 
world,  ruining  families,  and  deflroying  fouls, 
as  he  faid  cannot  be  denied  or  dilTembled.  Thefe, 
he  faid,  he  was  not  capable  of  fuch  cowardice  as 
to  retradi:.  In  his  other  writings  he  faid  he  had 
cenfured  particular  perfons,  and  he  was  ready  toal- 
low  that  he  had  fometimes  done  it  with  too  muchaf- 
perity;  but  that  farther  than  this  he  could  not  make 
any  conceflion.  He  was  ready,  however,  he  faid, 
to  retraft  any  thing  that  he  Ihould  be  Ihewn  by 
the  word  of  God  to  be  an  error;  and  he  conjured 
the  aflembly  to  inform  him  of  them,  declaring  that 
then  he  would  burn  his  books  himfelf. 

He  was  well  aware,  he  added,  both,  of  the  dan- 
ger to  which  he  expofed  hirnfelf,  and  of  the  evils 
that  would  arife  from  the  difference  of  opinion  and 
condu6l  which  would  be  ocafioned  by  his  writ- 
ings ;  but  this,  he  faid,  was  in  the  order  of  provi- 
dence. Chrift  himfelf  faid  that  he  was  not  come 
to  bring  peace  upon  earth,  but  a   fword,   and  to 

N  3  put 


*l4r  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII* 

put  divifion  between  the  neareft  relations.  He 
concluded  with  folemnly  warning  the  audience 
not  to  defeat  their  owr  purpofe  by  piofcnbing  the 
word  of  God,  and  thereby  bring  a  deluge  of  evils 
upon  the  empire,  which  would  make  the  reign  of 
thHr  vou ng  prince,  fr  itn  which  they  had  formed 
fuch  great  and  juft  expe6lanons,  a  very  unhappy 
one.  He  then  mtreated  their  protection,  and  that 
they  would  not  iufFer  the  clamour  ot  his  enemies 
to  prevdil  over  their  regard  to  equity. 

Having  faid  this  in  the  German   language,  he 
was  required  to  fpeak  in   Latin,  and  this  he    did 
with  the  fame  readinefs  and  firmnefs.     When  he 
had  concluded,  the   public  orator,  with  much  in- 
dignation, replied,   that  he  had  not  anfwered   the 
queftion  that  had  been  put  to  him  ;   he  muft  fay 
diflmftly  whether  he  would  retraft,   or  not  ;   nor 
n?ull  he  call  in  quePiion  what  had  been  decided  in 
general  councils.     To  this    Luther    replied,   that 
he  muft  be  convinced   of  error    by   proofs  drawn 
from  fcripture,  or  from  plain   reafon  ;    he   would 
not  yield  to  the  authority  of  popes,  or  of  councils, 
botn  of  them  having  fallen  into  manifeft  errors  and 
contradiftions.  Being  perfuaded  that  he  had  taught 
the  truth,  "  I  cannot,"  he  faid,  ''  retraft  upon  any 
*'  article.     This  is  my  final  refolulion,  I  (hall  take 
1*  no  other.     So  help  me  God."  ^ 

Attar 


Sac.   IV-  .    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       2i5 

After  he  was  withdrawn,  and  the  princes  had 
confidered  his  fpeech,  he  was  called  in  again ; 
when  the  orator  told  him  that  his  anfwers  to  the 
queftions  that  had  been  put  to  him  were  deemed  to 
be  neither  decent,  nor  to  the  purpofe ;  that  tha 
diftin6tion  that  he  had  made  in  his  writings  was 
ufelefs,  as  he  had  only  to  retra£l  thofe  that  con- 
tained errors ;  that  it  was  unreafonable  in  him  to 
cxpeft  to  be  confuted  out  of  the  Icriptures,  when 
he  revived  errors  which  had  been  condemned  in 
the  council  of  Conftance,  at  which  the  German 
church  had  affifted  ;  that  the  emperor  commanded 
him  to  fay  diliindly,  whether  he  would  maintain 
what  he  had  advanced,  or  retradl  it.  Luther, 
however,  perfifled  in  his  refolution  ;  and  as  he 
finally  withdrew,  the  Spaniards  belonging  to  the 
emperor's  houfchold  followed  him  with  hooting:^. 
Cut  his  fi\cnds  received  him  with  the  wariiKH 
congratulations,  and  efpecially  the  eledor  of  S.^.x- 
ony,  who  Ciid  to  Spalatin,  that  he  had  always 
feared  left  Luther  would  have  been  intimidated 
by  fuch  an  alFembly  ;  but  then,  full  of  joy  and  ad- 
miration, he  faid  to  him,  "  How  well  Luther  has 
"  fpoken,  both  in  German,  and  in  Latin,  he  has 
*'  fhewn  all  the  courage  that  he  ought  to  have 
*•'  done,  and  perhaps  too  much." 

The  day  follov/ing  the  emperor,  who  was  be- 

fet  by  the  emiffaries  of  the  pope,  produced  in  the 

P  4  diet 


215  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

diet,  without  confulting  the  princes  of  the  empire, 
a  writing  in  Latin,  which  expreffed  rhat  the  em- 
perors, his  predeceflbs,  having  always  honoured 
the  church  of  Rome  which  Luther  had  attacked, 
tvithout  renouncing  his  errors,  he  was  refo]v<!d  to 
defend  the  church.  He,  therefore,  ordered  the  ex- 
communication of  Luther  and  his  adherents  to 
be  carried  into  execution  ;  and  faid,  that  if  it 
fhould  be  neceffarv, he  would  employ  all  his  force 
to  reduce  them,  tho*  he  would  caufe  him  to  be 
recondu6led  in  fcfety  to  Wittemberg. 

But  the  princes  of  the  empire  refufed  to  be  go- 
verned by  this  decifion  of  the  emperor,  ?nd  ap- 
pointed the  archbifhop  of  Treves,  who  had  al- 
ways fliewn  much  moderation,  to  confer  with  Lu- 
ther, again  ;  wifhing  him  to  retraft  feme  thing  or 
other ;  hoping  that,  as  in  mod  things  he  had  rea- 
fon  on  his  fide,  this  might  be  the  means  of  procu- 
ring an  ufeful  reformarion,  and  reducing  the  pow- 
er ot  the  pope.  This  conferrence,  however,  with 
the  archbifhop,  tho'  conduced  in  a  manner  the 
mofl  likely  to  anfwer  this  end,  had  no  better  fuc- 
cefs  than  any  of  the  preceding  attempts  to  pro- 
duce a  compromife.  After  their  private  confer- 
ence fome  other  perfon  being  introduced,  the  pre- 
late faid,  *'  What  remedy  then  ean  we  find  in  this 
*'  bufinefs."     Luther  anfwered  "  that  of    Gama- 

*'  lid, 


Sec.    IV.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        Sir 

"liel,  if  this  thing  be  of  man,  it  will  fonn  come  to 
"  nought ;  but  if  it  be  of  God,  ye  cannot  deffcrojjr 
"  it." 

Except  that  the  emperor  was  unfavourable  ta 
Luther,  he  had  no  reafon  to  complain  oi  the  recep- 
tion he  met  with  at  Worms.  He  was  vifired  by 
many  perfons  of  the  firft  diftinftion,  efpecially  by 
William  duke  of  Brunfwiclc,  William  prince  of 
Henneberg,  and  Philip  the  landgrave  of  Hefle, 
tho'  he  was  not  at  this  time  in  his  fentiments.  How- 
ever, fpeaking  to  him  one  day  on  the  fubjeft  of 
his  doftrine,  he  gave  him  his  hand  at  parting,  and 
faid,  "  If  you  have  reafon  on  your  lide,  God  will 
*'  be  with  you." 

Notwithftanding  the  fafe  condu6l  that  had 
been  given  fo  Luther,  fome  of  the  ecclefiaftic.il 
princes,  and  of  the  fecular  too,  folicited  the  emper- 
or to  arreft  him  ;  faying  that  fo  fine  an  opportunity 
ofextinguifhing  herefy  ought  not  to  be  lofl  ;  that 
they  would  be  jnftified  by  the  example  of  the 
council  of  Conftance,  and  that  Luther  was  infi- 
nitely more  condemnable  than  Hus.  But  Lewis 
the  eleflor  Palatine  faid,  it  was  not  reafonable 
that  all  Germany  fhould  be  ftained  with  the  infa- 
my of  violating  the  public  faith,  for  the  fake  of 
pleafing  fome  ecclefiaftics.  George  duke  of  Sax- 
ony, tho'  an  enemy  to  Luther,  was  the  firll  to  con- 

-\. 
O  5  dema 


2itS  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per,   X^II, 

demn  this  a£l  of  perfidy  ;  and  on  this  occafion 
he  faid  that,  if  good  faith  was  banifhed  from 
the  earth,  it  ought  to  be  found  in  the  brealls 
of  princes.  It  was,  therefore,  fignified  to  Luther 
that  he  had  leave  to  depart,  that  he  fhould  be  al- 
lowed twenty  one  days  for  that  purpofe  ;  but  that 
the  emperor  forbad  his  preaching  on  his  journey  J 
that  when  that  time  fliould  be  expired,  he  mufl 
exoeft  that  his  imperial  majefly  would  do  his  du- 
ty as  a  good  defender  of  the  catholic  faith.  Luther 
replied,  *'  It  is  as  God  wills.  His  name  be  praif- 
**  ed."  He  then  defired  the  officer  to  thank  the 
emperor  and  theftates  for  the  public  audience  and 
the  fafe  couduft  they  had  given  him.  He  was 
ready,  he  faid,  to  facrifice  his  life  in  their  fervice, 
and  referved  to  himfelf  only  the  liberty  to  preacia 
the  word  of  God.  And  notwithllanding  the  em- 
peror's prohibition,  he  preached  on  his  journey, 
having  made  no  promife  that  he  would  not  do  it. 

Tho'  Luther  had  given  the  greateft  fatisfadion 
to  all  his  friends,  his  behaviour  did  not  fully  pleafc 
himfelf.  Writing  to  Spalatin,  he  faid,  "  I  re- 
*'  proach  myfelf  for  yielding  too  far  to  your  advice, 
**  and  that  of  my  other  friends,  and  for  relaxing 
**  too  much  of  my  zeal  on  that  occafion,  I  ought 
*'  to  have  Ihewn  thcfc  idolatrous  Ifraelites  the 
**  fpirit  of  a  new  EI:a^.  They  fhould  hear  other 
*'  thii'^^s,  if  they  were  to  caii  me  before  them 
,"r.avv»"  The 


Sec.  IV.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      219 

The  e!e6lor  of  Saxony  conduced  himfelf  with 
the  greatefl.  firmncfs  and  prudence  in  this  conjunc- 
ture, as  on  all  other  occafions;  and  r>  hlted  all 
attempts  to  injure  Lather.  Writing  to  his  brother 
from  the  diet,  he  faid,  "  I  have  been  folicited  m 
*'  the  ftrongeft  manner  by  perfuns  of  fuch  charac- 
**  ter  that  you  would  befurpnzed  if  1  were  to  tell 
"  you.  Wnen  I  come  I  fhall  tell  you  alloniQiing 
"  things.  This  is  the  work  of  God,  and  not  of 
**  man.  Be  affured  that  not  only  Annas  and 
■'  Caiaphas,  but  that  Pilate  and  Herod,  are  the 
*'  enemies  of  Luther." 

When  Luther  was  arrived  at  Frideberg,  where 
he  might  think  himfelf  fafe,  he  difmiired  his  guard 
with  two  letters,  one  addreired  to  the  emperor, 
and  the  other  to  the  Rates  oi  the  empire;  expref- 
(ing  himfelf  as  he  had  done  before,  and  faying 
that  he  was  ready  to  appear  before  equitable 
judges;  but  on  the  only  condition  that  his  caufe 
fhould  be  examined  by  the  fcriptures,  and  exprcf- 
(ing  his  fincere  good  will  towards  the  emperor  and 
the  German  nation.  When  he  was  enteiincr  the 
foreft  of  Thuringia,  he  was  by  the  direftion  ot 
the  ele6lor,  who  faw  no  other  way  of  laving  him 
and  himfelf,  and  with  Luther's  own  confent,  feized 
by  an  armed  force,  and  conveyed  to  the  caftle  of 
Wan  burg,  and  this  ;vas  done  with  fo  much  fecre- 
cy^  that  it  was  not  known  either  to  the  friends  or 

the 


520  THE  HISTORY  OF         Ver.  XXII. 

the  enemies  of  Luther;  and,  on  its  being  reported 
that  he  was  aflTafTinated,  it  appeared  by  the  confter- 
nation  excited  by  the  news,  that  he  had  more 
friends  than  his  enemies  wifhed  him  to  have,  and 
that  it  was  impoffible  to  deftroy  him  by  profcrip- 
tion. 

The  friends  of  the  pope,  however,  did  not  fail 
to  endeavour  it.  The  emperor,  being  wholly  go- 
verned by  their  councils,  iffued  an  edi6l  on  the 
26th  of  May,  alter  the  friends  of  Luther  were  pur- 
pofely  tired  out  with  theii  attendance  at  the  diet, 
and  had  left  it,  but  dated  the  8th,  as  if  it  had  been 
dictated  while  the  diet  was  full,  in  which  Luther 
was  treated  in  the  mofl  opprobrious  manner ;  being 
faid  to  be  the  devil  himfelf,  who  had  taken  the 
form  of  a  man,  and  of  a  monk,  to  conceal  himfelf 
and  deftroy  mankind;  that  the  emperor  had  per- 
haps gone  too  far  in  hearing  a  man  who  had  been 
condemned  by  the  pope,  who  was  obftinate  in  his 
errors,  and  was  acknowledged  to  be  a  heretic.  H« 
therefore  condemned  and  banifhed  him  as  the  au- 
thor of  fchifm,  and  an  obftinate  and  notorious 
heretic,  and  direfted  that  every  perfon  fhould  en- 
deavour to  apprehend  him,  and  to  put  him  under 
lawful  cuftody.  He  alfo  ordered  Al  his  books  to 
be  deftroyed.     Shidan,  p.  49. 

^y  this  meafure  the  emperor  gained  the  friend- 
fhip  of  the  pope,  and  drew  him  off  from  the  inter- 
efts 


Sec.  IV.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        221 

efts  of  the  king  of  France.  This,  and  not  his  zeal 
in  the  caufe  of  religion,  was,  no  doubt,  the  t;ue 
reafon  of  this  proceeding.  The  edi6l,  however, 
had  no  effe6i;.  No  inquiry  was  made  after  Luther, 
and  thfe  emperor  did  not  appear  to  be  folicitous 
about  it;  which  made  fome  perfons  think  that  he 
himfelf  was  in  the  fecretof  his  feizure. 

Luther,  in  the  mean  time,  was  at  his  eafe, 
more  refpeftcd  than  ever,  and  employed  in  writ* 
ing  more  books.  He  would  have  wifhed  however, 
to  have  had  more  liberty,  tho'  attended  with  more 
danger.  Being  tired  of  his  folitude,  and  his  health 
fufFering  from  it,  he  wrote  to  one  of  his  friends, 
that  he  had  rather  be  put  upon  burning  coals  for 
the  glory  of  God,  the  ftrengthening  of  his  own, 
faith,  and  the  faith  of  others,  than  remain  there 
alone,  in  a  (late  of  confinement,  liardly  alive,  and 
rotting  in  a  difmal  folitude,  before  he  was  buried. 
In  this  fituation  it  gave  him  much  concern  to 
hear  that  when  the  canons  of  Erford  would  have 
driven  from  their  body  one  of  their  brethren  on 
the  pretence  of  his  being  a  Lutheran,  the  ftudents 
rofe  and  plundered  fome  of  their  houfes,  and  fet 
fire  to  them,  and  that  the  infurgents  were  not  pu- 
nifhed.  He  was  far  from  being  pleafed  with  this 
mark  of  popular  favour  ;  being  of  opinion,  thafc 
the  true  method  of  eftablifliing  the  gofpel  was  by 
patient  fufFering. 

Towards 


^2  THE  HISTORY  OF        ?er.  XXit 

Towards  the  end  of  this  year  appeared  Luther's 
ahfwer  to  Ambrofe  Catharin,  a  Dominican,   who 
had  written  in  defence  of  the  authority  of  the  pope 
2nd  his  brother    Prierias ;  a   work  which  he  had 
compofed  before  his  jour  ?ey  to  Worms.      In  this 
work  he  not  only  expofed  the  fallacy  of  the  argu- 
ment trom  the  words  of  Chrift,   thou  art  Ptte^,  but 
he  applied  fome  paffages  of  Danisl,  and  fome  pro- 
phrcies  of  the  New  Teflament,  to  the  rife,  progrefs 
and  charader  of  the  pope,  in  fuch  a  manner  that 
the  hiftorian  fays,  it  was  aftonifhmg  that  he   fhould 
have  lived  twenty    five  years  after  this.      He   alfo 
file  wed    the    impropriety    of   applying   the   w.rd 
church,  and  the  character  of  without  fpoi  and  blamC' 
lefs  to  the  clergv,  exclufive  oi  the   chriftian   laity. 
But  the  firft  work  that  L.  ther  compofed  in  his  re- 
treat was  on    the  fubj^ft    of  auricular  confcffion, 
the  evils  arifing  from  which  he   expofed,  as  Eraf- 
jnus  had  done  before  him.      And  in  this   work  he 
vindicated  ihe  freedom  of  his    writings  from  the 
Cenfures  that  had  been  thrown  upon  them  on  that 
account. 

At  this  time  the  faculty  of  divinity  at  Paris  pub- 
lifhed  a  cenfure  of  one  hundred  and  lour  propohti- 
ons  extrafted  from  the  writings  of  Luther,  which 
was  anfwered  by  Melandlhon,  who  effe6lualiy  ex- 
pofed the  abfurdity  of  the  cenfure  ;  efpecially  their 
faying  that  Luther  had  adopted  all  the  antient  he- 

refies. 


Sec.  VI.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CiiOllCir.        2£S 

refies,  and  their  defence  of  the  fcholallic  theology, 
which  Luther  had  attacked.  Speaking  of  the 
commentary  of  John  Major  on  the  fentences  of 
Peter  Lombard,  then  much  celebrated  by  the  di- 
vines of  Palis,  he  faid,  "  I  will  not  judge  of  the 
*'  morals  of  this  perfon,  but,  Good  God,  what  a 
*'  heap  of  nonfenfe  do  I  find  in  his  works.  How 
**many  pages  does  he  employ  about  the  queftion 
*'  whether  a  horfe  be  neceffary  to  riding  (aller  a 
"  ckcval)  Can  we  be  furprized  it  fuch  fophifls  as 
"  thele  be  unfavourable  to  Luiher."  He  adds,  how- 
ever, that  there  were  dodors  of  the  Sorbonnae  who 
were  not  difpleafed  with  the  do£lrine  of  Luther. 

At  this  time  alfo Luther  and  MeJancthon,  or  ra- 
ther the  latter  only,  called  in  queftion  the  propriety 
of  the  law  for  the  celebacy  of  the  priefts.  Melanc- 
thon  was  not  in  orders,  and  married ;  and  had  no 
doubts  on  the  fubjed,  but  Luther  had,  efpecially 
with  refpe^l  to  monks,  whofe  vows  were  volunta- 
ry. The  controverfy  was  heightened  by  the  cure 
of  Kemberg,  a  Saxon,  a  man  of  learning  and 
good  charader,  publicly  taking  a  wife,  which  gave 
jfreat  offence  to  many  ;  but  Melandhon  defended 
his  conduft  with  great  zeal,  and  fhowed  that  the 
eflablifhed  cuftom  was  novel,  unjuft,  and  tyranni- 
cal, as  well  as  the  fourceofmany  diforders. 

At  this  fame  time  Luther  wrote  againfl  the 
obligation  ©f  monaftic  vows,  a  treatife  which  gave 

gteaC 


22^  THE  HISTORY  OF        Peb.XXH. 

great  offence,  tho'  written  with  much  moderation  ; 
advifing  perfons  not  to  renounce  their  vows  raihly, 
a*  a  great  abufe  of  their  chriflian  liberty.  The 
court  of  Saxony  fupprefled  this  b<.ok  fo  that  it 
did  not  appear  till  fome  time  alter.  The  court 
alfo  fupprefled  another  trafl;  of  Luther's  againft 
the  archbifliop  of  Mentz,  for  fufiPering  the  preach- 
ing oi  indulgences,  and  for  imprifoning  a  prieft. 
fer  marrying.  This  piece  was  written  with  much 
unjuftifiable  intemperance.  He  even  threatened 
the  aichbiflriop,  tho'  a  cardinal,  and  prince  of  the 
empire,  that  if  he  did  not  put  a  flop  to  the  preach- 
ing of  indulgences,  he  would  fill  him  with  coafu.-r 
fion  by  a  treatiCe  which  he  had  then  ready  for  the 
prefs,  and  he  would  allow  him  no  more  than  a 
fortnight  to  confider  of  it.  The  archbifhop, 
however,  anfwered  with  great  mildnefs;  affuring 
liim  that  he  had  gi^en  orders  to  do  what  he  wifiied 
to  have  done.  In  anfwer  to  Capito,  who  was 
with  the  archbifhop,  and  a  friend  to  reformation, 
but  who  was  difpleafed  with  the  freedom  that  Lu- 
ther had  taken,  he  endeavoured  to  vindicate  his 
condu6l,  but  it  was  in  a  manner  that  gave  Jittle 
fatisfadion. 

While  Luther  was  employed  in  writing  in  his 
place  of  retreat,  a  reformation  of  the  public  wor- 
Ihip  took  place  at  Wittemberg.  This  had  not 
been  attempted  by  Luther,  who  was  of  opinion 

that 


Sec.  iV.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         225 

that  previous  to  this,  the  minds  of  the  common 
people  fhould  be  fully  enlightened  on  the  fubjeft, 
and  that  then  it  would  be  accomplifhed  without 
difficulty,  but  that  otherwife  there  would  be  great 
danger  of  tumults.  This  important  bufmefs, 
however,  was  begun  in  the  monaftery  of  Auguf- 
lins,  which  was  full  of  monks  who  came  to  ftudy 
in  the  univerfity,  drawn  by  the  reputation  of  Lu- 
ther. Many  of  thefe,  at  the  head  of  whom  was 
Gabriel  Didymus,  were  of  opinion  that  private 
mafles  and  maffes  for  the  dead  Ihould  be  immedi- 
ately laid  afide,  arad  the  communion  in  both  kinds 
feftored.  He  was  oppofed  by  the  prior,  and  an' 
appeal  being  made  to  the  court  of  Saxony,  they 
were  defired  to  w^it  the  orders  of  their  provin- 
cial. 

Thirteen  monks,  however,  had  a:1  ready  left  the 
fiionaftery,  becaufe  the  prior  would  have  compell- 
ed them  to  fay  mafs  as  ufual ;  and  they  being 
joined  by  fome  of  the  fludents,  and  citizens,  the 
elector  fent  Pontanus  to  inquire  into  the  matter, 
and  deputies  from  the  univerfity  and  the  chapter 
were  appointed  to  hear  the  reafons  of  thofe  fece- 
ders.  Thefe  they  gave  in  writing,  and  being  con- 
fidered  by  the  eleftor,  he  appointed  Chriftian 
Beyer,  a  burgo-mafter  of  Wittemberg,  who  was 
alfo  a  profeflbr  in  the  univerfity  and  a  chancellor, 
tb  reprefent  to    them   the  neceffity  of  proceeding 

Vol.  V.  P  with 


S26  THE  HIS lORY  OF  Per:  XXH; 

with  caution  in  a  bulinefs  of  fo  much  importance, 
efpecially  as  much  inconvenience  would  arife  from 
the  heirs  of  the  founders  of  pubUc  inflitutions 
claiming  the  eftates  that  had  been  granted  for  fer- 
vices  which  would  now  be  difcontinued.  To  this- 
they  made  a  reply  which  was  reported  to  the  elec- 
toral court,  which  was  not  a  little  embarraffed  with 
the  bulinefs. 

At  length,  however,  Carolftadt,  a  few  days  be-' 
fore  chriflmas,  celebrated  mafs  in  the  parilh  church 
in  the  German  language,  and  fome  difturbance 
was  occafioned  by  it,  which  made  the  people  ap- 
prehenlive  of  the  refentment  of  the  emperor,  the 
regents  being  particularly  attentive  to  every  thing 
that  pafTed  at  Wittemberg,  But  it  was  found  ab- 
folutely  necelTary  to  yield  in  fome  meafure  to  the 
wifhes  of  the  people.  Some  of  the  changes  that 
were  moft  eagerly  called  for  were  mad^.  The 
monks  were  forbid<3en  to  beg,  and  the  images  were 
removed  from  the  church.  The  chapter  of  the 
order  being  now  held,  a  medium  v/as  ordered  to  be 
obferved  ;  the  monks  being  left  at  liberty  to  leave 
the  monaflery  or  not,  and  malTes  for  the  dead  were 
difcontinued.  Thofe  of  the  monks  who  were  able 
were  direfted  to  preach,  and  the  reft  to  fubfift  by 
their  labour.  Luther  being  informed  of  thefe  re- 
gulations made  by  the  chapter,  was  greatly  rejoic- 
ed i  and  in  a  work  which  he   now  compofed,  but 

which 


Sic.    IV,     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      sW 

which  was  fuppreffed  by  order  of  the  court,  on 
the  abolition  of  private  ^maffes,  lie  congratulated 
his  brethren  of  the  order  upon  them. 

It  was  in  a.  d.  1522  that  the  Anabaptifts,  who 
were  the  occafion  of  fo  much  difturbance  in  Ger- 
many, firfl  made  their  appearance.  A  draper  of 
Zuichaw  in  Mifnia,  called  Nicolas  Storch,  was  at 
their  head.  Being  chofen  by  his  brahren  of  the 
fame  perfuafion,  he  chofe  twelve  apoflles,  and  fe- 
venty  two  other  difciples.  Next  in  authority  to 
him  were  Marc  Stubner,  Martin  Cellarius,  and 
Thomas  Muncer,  *  who  was  afterwards  at  the 
head  of  the  revolted  peafants  in  Thuringia.  This 
Muncer  preaching  in  a  feditious  manner  in  the 
church  of  St.  Catharine,  notwithftanding  the  oppo- 
fition  of  the  paftor,  the  duke  of  Saxony  had  him 
putinprifon;  but  Storch,  Stubner,  and  Cellarius, 
fled  to  Wittemberg.  Thefe  men  pretending  to 
immediate  revelations,  as  a  fulfillment  of  the  pro- 
phecy concerning'"  the  eflFufion  of  the  fpirit  upon 
*'  all  flefh,"  both  Carolftadt  and  Melan£ihon  were 
much  taken  with  them.  The  eleftor  did  not  ap- 
prove  of  them,  but  he  faid  on  this  occafion,  that 
P  2  he 

;    *  Muncer  ^va5  not  concerned  in  the  firft  infurre6lion 
of  the  peafants  ;  but  believing  their  caufe  to  be  juft,  he 

drew  up  a  manifefto  for  them.  It  is  applauded  by  every 

writer  who  mentions  it.      Voltaire    faid  a  Lycurgus 

would  have  figaed  it.     Robinson,  p.  548, 


22S  THE  HISTORY  OF     Per.  XXII, 

he  would  abandon  every  thing,  and  fat  out  with 
his  ftaff  in  his  hand,  rather  than  oppofe  the  gof- 
pel. 

Luther  was  more  upon  his  guard  than  Me- 
landhon,  and  faid  that  they  ought  to  prove  the 
fpirits  before  they  gave  credit  to  their  pretended 
revelations.  Melan6lhon,  however,  who  Was  more 
credulous,  and  perhaps,  we  may  add,  lefs  jealous, 
received  Stubner,  who  had  fome  knowledge  of  let- 
ters, into  his  houfe  j  and  thefe  fanatics  preaching 
Dublicly,  foon  gained  many  followers  among  the 
common  people,  which  alarmed  Luther,  and  in- 
duced him  to  write  to  the  eleftor  that  he  was  de- 
termined to  leave  his  retreat  and  return  to  Wittem-. 
berg.  The  eleClor  endeavoured  to  prevent  this, 
but  in  vain,  Luther,  with  uncommon  firmnefs, 
exolained  to  him  the  reafons  of  his  conduQ  ;  fay- 
incT  that  his  retreat  had  retarded,  inflead  of  advanc- 
ing,  the  progrefs  ot  the  gofpel.  He  defired  the 
eleftor  to  leave  him  to  himfelf ;  faying  that  his 
caufe  ought  not  to  be  defended  by  force,  that  if  the 
emperor  came  to  feize  him,  he  ought  not  to  be  re- 
filled. 

With  this  the  eleftor  acquiefced,  and  with  his 
concurrence  Luther  publifhed  a  letter  in  juftifica- 
tion  of  his  conduft,  in  coming  abroad;  which  he 
faid  was  to  promote  the  reformation  which  he  had 
begun,  and  to  prevent  the  difturbanccs  which  were 

taking 


Ske.  IV.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      229 

taking  place  in  his  flock.  Accordingly  he  V:ft  the 
caftle  of  Wartburg,  and  arriving  at  Wittemberg, 
the  6th  of  March  a.  d.  1522,  he  was  received 
with  every  expreflion  of  joy.  He  immediately  de- 
clared nimfell  much  ofFended  at  the  alterations 
made  by  Carolftadt  in  the  public  worfhip,  and 
pleaded  for  every  perfon  being  left  at  full  liberty  to 
conform  to  them  or  not,  and  on  the  whole,  feemcd 
to  difcover  fomethingof  jealoufy  of  Carolftadt,  as 
having  interfered  in  his  province  of  fole  refortn- 
cr. 

The  flates  of  the  empire  being  aHembled  at 
Nuremberg  the  17th  of  March  a.  d.  1523,  the 
bifhops  made  great  complaints  of  the  prote6lioii 
afforded  to  Luther  by  the  ele£lor  oi  Saxony,  par- 
ticularly the  bifhop  of  Strafburg,  who  faid  that  the 
greateft  part  of  his  priefts  were  Lutherans.  The 
duke  of  Saxony  was  at  firft  exceedingly  violent, 
but  at  length  the  bufinefs  was  condudled  with 
more  moderation,  and  the  diet  being  prol^ogued 
till  Odober,  the  farther  confideration  ot  it  was 
referred  to  that  time. 

About  this  time  Lather  had  an  interview  with 
Stubner  and  his  two  companions  at  the  liOufe  of 
Melanfthon,  when  he  treated  them  as  impollors, 
and  they  him  as  fine  who  oppofed  the  work  of  the 
fpirit,  and  they  left  the  city  the  fame  day.  Luther 
had  alfo  fcen   Muncer,  and  invited   hini  to  come 

P  3  and 


2^0  THE  HISTORY  OF       Pee.  XXII. 

and, confer  with  him  at  Wittemberg,  but  he  did 
not  chufe  to  do  it.  Luther  faid  of  him,  that  he 
ufed  fuch  language  in  explaining  his  fentiments 
as  might  lead  perfons  to  take  him  for  one  who  was 
either  drunk,  or  mad. 

The  bifhops  being  the  principal  enemies  of  the 
reformation,  Luther  wrote  a  trcatife  in  the  Ger- 
man language  againfl:  them,  repioaching  them 
with  all  their  vices  and  intrigues,  and  concluded 
with  a  kind  of  bull,  in  imitation  of  thofe  of  the 
pope,  which  gave  great  oflFence  not  only  to  the 
clergy,  but  alfo  to  the  nobility,  whofe  youngeft 
fons  got  eftablifhments  in  the  rich  biftiopricks. 
When  this  was  obje6led  to  his  fcheme,  Luther  re- 
plied, "  Let  the  younger  fons  of  great  lords  be  al- 
*'  lowed  a  proper  maintenance,  and  become  pri- 
*'  vate  citizens."  The  fuperiority  of  the  bifhops 
to  pricfts,  he  faid,  had  no  foundation  in  fcripture, 
and  the  order  ought  to  be  abolifhed.  It  is 
evident,  however,  from  this  condu6l  of  Luther, 
that  there  was  nothing  of  worldly  policy  in  h^s 
fcheme. 

Luther  had  in  his  retreat  tranflated  the  New 
Teflament,  and  it  was  publifhed  in  September 
A.  D.  1522.  Melandhon  and  others  having  af- 
fifted  in  the  revival  of  it;  and  being  recommended 
hy  the  purity  of  the  ftyle,  and  the  neatnefs  of  the 
printing,  it  was  received  with  the  greateft  avidity, 

and 


Scc.IV.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         23t 

and  circulated  over  all  Germany.  He  then  ap- 
plied himfelf  to  the  tranflation  of  the  Old  Tefta- 
ment,  and  publifhingit  in  parts  as  they  were  finifh- 
cd,  the  whole  was  not  completed  before  the  year 
A.  D.  1530.  This  work  contributed  greatly  to  the 
advancement  of  the  reformation.  Confequently, 
it  gave  alarm  to  the  papal  party,  who  did  every 
thing  they  could  to  cry  it  down,  but  without  elFefl. 
Many  of  the  princes  of  the  empire  forbad  the  ufe 
of  it,  and  ordered  the  copies  to  be  burned. 

This  oppofition  on  the  part  of  the  princes,  led 
Luther  to  compofe  a  treatife  on  the  fubje6l  of 
Jecidar  power,  in  which  he  Ihewed  that  princes  ar- 
rogated to  themfelves  the  rights  of  God  when  they 
prefcribed  to  man  what  they  ought  to  believe.  He 
then  exhorted  the  people  not  to  give  up  their  bi- 
bles voluntarily,  but  not  to  oppofe  force  to  force, 
*'  We  are  not,"  he  faid,  "  to  be  furprized  if  princes 
"  make  war  on  God  and  the  gofpel,  fince  they  have 
*'  alfo  done  it  from  its  firft  appearance,  fo  that  a 
*'  pious  prince  is  altnoft  a  miracle ;"  and  he  expreiT- 
ed  himfelf  with  much  energy  and  juftice  on  the 
impoffibility  of  fuppreffing  herefy  by  power.  This 
treatife  was  comp^fed  by  order  of  the  eledlor  and 
his  brother. 

In  the  year  a.  d.  1522,    Henry  VIII  of   En- 
gland publifhed  a  bcokagainfl;  Luther  on  the  fub- 
P4  jea: 


g^2  THE  KISTORY  OF         Per,  XXII. 

je^  of  the /even  facrainents,  which  he  dedicated  to 
Leo  X,  who,  in  return,  gave  him  the  title  of  De^ 

Jender  of  the  faith ^  retained  by  his  fucceflors  to  this 

day.  This  work  was  much  praifed  at  Rome  ;  but 
Luther  in  his  anfwer  treated   it  as  the  weakefl  pro- 

duftion  of  all  his  opponents,  tho'  written  in  better 
Latin.  He  treated  the  king  himfelf  with  fo  much 
freedom  as  offended  his  own  friends,  Duke 
George  complained  of  it  to  the  regents  of  the  em- 
pire, and  the  king  himfelf  wrote  to  the  ele6lor  and 
the  dukes  John  and  George,  exhorting  them  to 
employ  fire  and  fword  to  extinguifh  the  rifing  he- 
refy.  But  the  ele6lor  and  his  brother  wrote  » 
refpe£lful  anfwer,  faying  that  they  neither  ap- 
proved nor  condemned  the  do6trine  of  Luther, 
and  defired  him  to  ufe  his  influence  to  procure  the 
calling  of  a  general  council,  according  to  the  refo- 
lution  which  had  been  taken  at  Nuremberg. 

Luther  was  by  this  time  aflSfled  in  the  work  of 
the  reformation  by  many  learned  and  able  men. 
Among  them  was  Bucer,  a  Dominican,  almoner  of 
Lewis  the  ele£lor  Palatin,  who  preached  at  Stral- 
burg,  Oliander  at  Nurenberg;  and  Seckingen,  not 
only  caufed  it  to  be  preached  in  his  own  eflates,  but 
deiended  it  by  his  writings,  and  before  the  imperial 
regency  in  a.  d.  1523.  So  great  was  his  zeal  that, 
in  a  letter  to  the  princes  who  compofed  the  regency, 
he  faid,    that  he  would  joyfully   fufFer  the  moft 

grievous 


Sec.  IV.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        233 

grievous  puniihment,  if  his  death  would  procure 
to  his  country    the  knowledge  of  the  gofpel, 

By  the  zeal  of  numbers  in  this  great  caufe,  the 
reformation  fpread  itfelf  into  all  places,  there  be- 
inCT  no  town,  or  almofi;  a  village,  in  v/hich  there 
was  not  a  Lutheran  preacher.  Cbriftian  II, 
king  of  Denmark  forbad  the  burning  of  the  books 
of  Luther.  There  were  preachers  in  Bohemia, 
protefted  by  the  margrave  of  Brandenburg,  and 
in  Silefia  by  the  duke  of  Munfterberg,  the  bifhop 
himfelf  not  being  averfe  to  the  new  doftrinc. 
This  gave  great  joy  to  the  eleftor  of  Saxony,  who, 
however,  would  not  do  any  thing  more  than  leave 
the  people  at  full  liberty  to  aft  as  they  fhould 
ihink  proper. 

Lea  X.  died  in  the  beginning  of  December, 
A.  D.  1521,  and  was  lucceeded  by  Adrian  V^I, 
who  had  been  tutor  to  Charles  V,  He  had  a 
great  attachment  to  fcholaflic  theology,  and  was  a 
man  of  good  morals.  Being  in  Spain  at  the 
time  of  his  eledion,  he  did  not  arrive  in  Rome 
till  September,  a.  d.  1522.  He  was  fenfible  of 
the  corruptions  of  the  court  of  Rome,  and  was 
|>crfuaded  that  it  they  were  reformed,  every  thing 
would  return  into  its  right  channel.  He  alfo 
wifhed  to  reform  the  abules  of  indulgences  ;  but 
when  thefubje£t  was  viewed  in  every  light,  it  was 
found  to  be  impoQible  without  fuch  a  dimunition 

P5  of 


?34  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII* 

of  the  papal  revenues  as  they  could  not  bear;  and 
finding  no  encouragement  or  aflillance  in  his 
fchemes  of  reform,  he  is  faid  to  have  lamented  the 
condition  of  a  pope,  who  had  no  power  to  do  what 
was  right,  tho'  he  endeavoured  to  find  the  means. 
He,  however,  retained  his  refolution  to  attempt  a 
reformation,  and  thought  that  by  his  own  prefence 
in  Germany,  whither  he  intended  to  go,  he  Ihould 
reftore  every  thing  to  order. 

To  prepare  the  way  for  this  he  wrote  a  c^vil 
letter  to  the  ele£l:or  of  Saxony,  exhorting  him  to 
defend  the  catholic  faith,  as  his  anceftors  had 
don,e,  without  making  any  mention  of  Luther. 
But  in  his  letter  to  the  diet  of  the  empire,  then  af- 
fembled  at  Nuremberg,  he  did  not  fpare  him,  but 
exhorted  the  princes,  if  he  could  not  be  reclaimed, 
to  ufe  the  fame  feverity  againft  Luther  and  his 
difciples  that  had  been  done  to  John  Hus  and 
Jerome  of  Prague.  This  was  vehemently  urged 
by  the  ecclefiaftics  in  the  diet,  efpecially  as  Seck- 
ingen  was  then  at  war  with  the  archbifhop  of 
Treves,  at  which  they  were  all  alarmed.  But  the 
fecular  princes  were  no  lefs  intent  upon  reforming 
the  court  of  Rome  than  giving  it  fatisfa6lion  in 
other  refpeSs.  They  therefore  ordered  the  pope's 
letter  to  be  read,  and  in  this  he  did  not  hefitate  to 
acknoweldge  that  the  fource  ot  all  the  evils  then 
ccmplained  ol  was  in  the  court  of  Rome,  and  the 

conduft 


Sec.  IV.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      23S 

.condu£l  ot  the  clergy,  which  he  faid  he  was 
jdetermined  to  do  every  thing  in  his  power  to  re- 
form, but  that  thebufinefs  was  of  fo  extenfive  and 
compHcated  a  nature,  that  it  could  not  be  done  all 
at  once.  This  was  a  great  moriificafion  to  the 
prelates,  as  it  confirmed  all  that  the  reformers  had 
written  about  their  ignorance  and  debauchery. 

The  members  of  the  empire,  tho'  urged  by  the 
ecclefiafiics  to  enfoice  the  edift  of  Worms,  did  not 
chufe  to  do  it;  thinking  that  if  Luther  was  fuppref- 
fed,  they  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  pope,  and 
fliould  hear  no  more  of  the  reform  of  any  abufes. 
They,   therefore,  agreed  to  fufpend  the  execution 
of  that  ediQ; ;  faying  that  the  only  method  of  ter- 
minating the  bufii.efs  of  Luther,  was  the  callinsr  of 
a  free  council  in  lome  city  of  Germany,  in  which 
he  might  be  heard  and  judged ;  and  to  the  great 
mortification  of  the   bifhops,  they   prefixed    the 
pope's  letter   to  their  ordonance.   In  their  letter  to 
the  pope  they  thanked  him  for  his  good  intentions, 
but  informed  him   of  the  great    evils   that  would 
arife  from  complying  with  his  propofal;  and  they 
defired  of  him  the   fuppreffion  of  annates,  as  the 
term  for   w^hich    they    were   granted   was  expired, 
and  they  were  wanted  for  the  occafions  of  the  em- 
pire. 

The  nuncio  was  much  offended  at  the  condu6l 
of  this  diet,   and  made  many  objcftions  to  every 

article 


fi36  THE  HISTORY  OF  Pfift.  XXlI. 

article  of  their  edi6l ;  but  the  princes  paid  no  re- 
gard to  them,  and  took  this  opportunity  of  draw- 
ing up  an  account  of  their  grievances,  which  was 
done  under  ah  hundred  heads.  A  fimilar  memo- 
rial had  been  prefented  to  the  emperor  Maximilian 
on  this  fubjedl  in  the  year  a.  d.  1518,  in  which 
many  of  the  extortions  of  the  court  of  Rome  were 
enumerated,  and  complained  of;  when  the  fecular 
princes  affured  him  of  their  afTiftance  in  any  contell 
with  the  pope  upon  the  fubje6l.  The  fame  was 
urged  with  fome  additions  at  the  diet  at  Worms 
imder  Charles  V,  but  he  did  not  concur  in  the 
meafure,  being  unwilling  to  ofFend  the  pope* 
This  emperor,  writing  to  the  pope  from  Spain, 
informed  him  of  the  refolution  of  the  Hates  of  the 
empire  with  refpe6l  to  Che  annates,  but  infinuated 
to  him  that  the  money  which  they  wifhed  to  em- 
ploy in  the  war  againft  the  Turks  might  be  ufed 
to  chaftife  the  followers  of  Luther. 

While  thefe  things  were  paUmgat  Nuremberg, 
the  ele£lor  of  Saxony  received  a  letter  from  the 
emperor,  requiring  him  to  oppofe  the  progrefs  of 
the  do€lrine  of  Luther.  But  he  faid  in  anfwer, 
that  he  did  not  wifti  to  take  any  part  in  the  affairs 
of  Luther,  efpecially  as  hivS  age  and  growing  infir- 
mities did  not  allow  him  to  think  of  any  thing  but 
hii  repofe  and  his  death.  At  the  fame  time  he  re- 
ceived a  brief  from  the  pope,  reproaching  him  for 

the 


SfiC.  IV.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*        237 

the  countenance  which  he  gave  to  Luther  and  hU 
followers,  concerning  whom  he  fpared  no  terms  of 
abufe;  reminding  him  that  pope  Gregory  V.  had 
given  the  ele6loral  dignity  to  his  family,  and  he 
concluded  with  faying,  "  If  you  refufe  to  barken 
''  tp  our  paternal  admonitions,  we  denounce  to 
*'  VQU,  in  the  name  of  Almighty  God,  and  the 
"  Lord  Jefus  Chrift,  that  your  fin  will  not  remain 
"  unpunifhed  in  this  world,  and  that  you  will 
*•  burn  in  eternal  fire  in  the  world  to  come.  Know 
"  that  the  fovereign  pontiff  Adrian  and  the  empe- 
"  ror  Charles  both  live,  and  will  never  fuffer  thaJ 
"  the  people  whom  pope  Adrian  and  the  emperor 
"  Charlemagne  formerly  begot  to  Jefus  Chrift, 
"  fhould  now  peri(h  by  the  venom  of  herefy  and 
*'  fchifm  under  an  heritical  tyrant,  while  another 
"  Adrian  is  upon  the  papal  throne,  and  another 
♦'  Charles  is  emperor.  And  if  you  and  your  fub- 
*'  je6ls  do  not  change  your  conduft,  you  muft  ex- 
"  pea  to  feel  both  the  ftroke  of  the  apoftolic  fword 
*'  and  that  of  the  emperor/' 

A  bull  To  violent  and  abfurd,  calculated 
for  an  age  of  barbarifm,  was  not  likely  to  produce 
any  good  efFea  in  an  age  fo  enlightened  as  this; 
and  being  addrelTed  to  a  prince  who  was  confidcred 
as  a  model  of  wifdom  and  piety,  and  every  quality  '■ 
that  can  make  a  man  refpeaable,  jullified,  if  any 

thing 


2W  THE  HIS  TORY  OF        t'EE.XXl't 

thing  could  do  it,  the  rude  treatment  of  Henry 
V I II.  by  Luther.  The  pope's  comparing  himfelf 
and  Charles  V.  to  pope  Adaian  I.  and  Charle- 
magne difcovered  a  ridiculous  vanity,  and  no 
doubt  was  the  true  reafon  of  his  refufing  to  change 
his  name  when  he  was  made  pope.  The  ele6J;or 
infulted  in  this  grofs  manner,  or  dered  the  nuncio 
to  be  told  that  he  could  not  receive  fuch  a  bull, 
and  that  it  muft  have  been  forged  at  Nuremberg 
by  fome  of  his  enemies.  He  alfo  complained  to 
the  regents  of  the  empire  of  the  treatment  he  had^ 
received. 

In  the  mean  time  the  lid  of  the  hundred  grieV' 
c?2Ce5  was  drawn  up  at  Nuremberg  by  the  fecular 
princes,  the  ecclefiaftics  declining  to  have  any 
thing  to  do  in  the  bufinefs,  which  might  draw  up- 
on them  the  anathema  of  Rome.  After  this  enu- 
meration of  abufes,  they  fay  that,  if  they  were  not 
efFeftually  remedied  by  the  pope,  they  would  relieve 
themfelves  by  throwing  off  fo  tyrannical  a  yoke, 
and  give  to  Germany  its  antient  rights  and  original 
liberty.  The  nuncio,  knowing  what  was  prepar- 
ing, would  not  receive  this  writing,  but  left  the  di- 
et before  it  was  concluded.  The  writing,  howe- 
ever,  was  difperfed  over  all  Germany,  and  copies 
of  it  fent  to  Rome.  The  eledor  of  Saxony  fome 
weeks  before  the  conclufion  of  the  diet  made  a 
|5rote!l  by  his  envoy,  in  which  he  declared  that 


Sic.  IV.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        ^i9' 

he  would  confent  to  no  regulation  contrary  to  the' 
progrefs  of  the  gofpel,  and  that  he  was  determined' 
always  to  a61:  the  part  of  an  honeft  and  pious 
man. 

At  thi>  time  John  Faber,  a  canon  of  Con- 
ftance,  having  orders  to  preach  againft  Luther  in  a 
progrefs  through  Germany,  thought  it  neceffary  to 
apply  to  the  regency  for  a  lafe  conduft.  But  tlio' 
they  gave  him  one,  it  was  dr^wn  in  fuch  a  riianner 
that  he  did  not  think  it  fafe  to  make  ufe  of  it,  ?>ad 
laid  afide  his  defign.  The  regents  did  not  wifli  to 
encourage  a  fcheme  which  might  add  to  the  trou- 
bles of  the  country.  The  caufe  of  the  reformati- 
on gained  much  by  this  means,  the  followers  of  Lu- 
ther h^d  liberty  to  preach  without  mole£latiori,and 
the  pri^Ils  continued  to  exercife  their  fun6lions  tho* 
they  were  married,  being  only  fubje£l  to  fuch  cen- 
fures  as  they  defpifed.  The  fufpenfion  of  the  e- 
diftof  Worms  made  it  confidered  ?s  acknou-lcdp-- 

o 

ed  to  have  been  unjuft,  procured  by  the  intrigues 
of  the  court  of  Rome,  and  for  the  intereft  of  the 
emperor,  who  was  difpofed  to  gratify  it.  Befides, 
the  reference  of  the  contioverfy  to  a  future  coun- 
cil fhev/ed  the  perfualioii  of  the  diet  that  Luther 
was  not  altogether  in  the  wrong.  And  above  all 
the  acknowledgment  of  Adrian,  of  the  corruption 
of  the  clergy  and  the  court  of  Rome,  confirmed  a 
great  part  of  what  Luther  had  advanced  again  ft  it, 

while 


340  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per,  XXII. 

while  th€  promifes  of  the  pope  to  promote  a  refor- 
mation were  not  at  all  regarded. 

Luther,  pleafed  with  this  ftate  of  things,  wrote 
to  the  regency,  to  afifure  them  of  his  obedience  to 
the  ediQ;  of  Nuremberg,  praifing  the  wifdom  and 
the  equity  of  the  princes  who  had  made  it ;  obferv- 
ing  that  by  ordering  the  preachers  to  adhere  to  the 
interpretation  of  approved  dociors,  they  muft  have 
meant  the  fathers,  and  not  the  fcholaftics ;  and 
that  by  the  prohibition  of  books,  they  could  nofc 
have  meant  the  New  Teftament,which  had  no  need 
of  an  approbation.  He  added  that  if  he  were  to 
reveal  what  he  had  heard  from  all  parts,  of  the  abo- 
minable impurities  that  were  praflifed  in  convents, 
his  greateft  enemies  would  be  the  firftto  deftroy 
them ;  and  he  concluded  with  faying,  that  he  con- 
lidered  himfelt  as  abfolved  from  the  anathema  of  the 
pope  by  the  edi£l  of  Nuremberg,at  leaft  till  the  con- 
vocation of  a  council,  to  the  decifion  of  which  he 
profeffed  his  readinefs  to  fubmit,  tho*  his  life 
was  fo  painful  to  him,  that  it  fignified  little 
whether  he  was  profcribed  or  not.  However,  as 
the  edi6l  oi  Worms  was  not  executed  by  the  prin- 
ces who  favoured  Luther,  no  regard  was  paid  to 
that  of  Nuremberg  by  the  princes  in  the  oppofite 
intereft,  fo  that  the  reformers  were  periecuted,  or 
not,  according  to  the  difpofition^  of  the  civil:  ma  ^ 
gift  rates. 

Afe 


Sec.  IV.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        24i 

At  this  time  there  was  a  general  call  for  a  re- 
formation of  the  public  forms  of  worfhip,  and  there 
bemg  very  different  opinions  on  the  fubjed,  and 
different  practices  fet  up,  Luther  was  looked  up  to, 
to  interpofe  his  authority  ;  and  finding  it  to  be  un- 
avoidable, he  did  it  with  much  prudence  and  mo- 
deration, retaining  all  that  was  tolerable  in  the  old 
forms,  and  leaving  much  to  the  difcretion  of  the 
perfon  who  officiated.  Thefe  changes  in  the  pub- 
lic forms  and  ceremonial  of  worfhip  were  violently 
exclaimed  againft  by  Emfer  and  Cochloeus  ;  but 
as  they  difcovered  great  ignorance,  they  were  re- 
proved by  Caffander,  who  neverthelefs  adhered  to 
the  cuftomary  worfhip. 

A  new  difpofition  of  the  revenues  of  churches 
and  monafleries  was  alfo  called  for  by  the  new  flate 
of  things  J  and  this,  probably  with  the  advice  of 
Luther,  was  firft  made  at  Leifnitz,  a  fmall  town 
in  Mifnia,  where  the  magiftrates,  in  concert  with 
the  abbot  of  the  monaftery  of  Buach  in  that  neigh- 
bourhood, agreed  to  chufe  every  year  ten  perfons 
who  fhould  receive  all  the  revenues,  and  employ 
them  for  the  maintenance  ofminiflers,  fchoohnailers, 
and  thepoor,as  alfo  for  the  repair  of  facred  buildings; 
and  that  all  begging  Ihould  be  prohibited,  &c.  &c. 
Of  thefe  regulations  Luther  pubhflied  an  account, 
recommending  them  in  other  places.  With  ref- 
pe6l  to  the  bifhoprics,  he  rather    wifhed    that    the 

Vol.  V,  Q  occupants 


242  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

occupants  ftiould  become  fecular,  than  that  they 
fhould  be  deprived  of  their  fiefs,  except  in  particu- 
lar cafes. 

At  the  intreaty  of  the  pope's  nuncio,  and  of 
fome  princes,  Erafmus  was  at  this  time  defired  ta 
endeavour  to  reftore  peace  to  the  church,  and  he 
recommended  moderation  on  both  fides.  But 
neither  his  endeavours,  nor  thofe  of  fome  of  the 
friends  of  Luther  to  the  fame  purpofe  had  any 
eflFeft. 

Hitherto  the  reformation  had  made  a  great  pro- 
grefs  in  Germany,  without  the  popifh  party  com- 
ing to  any  great  extremity.  But  the  duke  of  Sax- 
ony, irritated  by  fome  letters  of  Luther,  having  dif- 
countenaneed  the  reformation  in  his  flates,  and 
having  tried  without  efiFe6l  the  punifhments  of  fine, 
imprifonment,  and  banifhment,  noiv  proceeded  to 
punifh  with  death;  and  the  fame  violence  of  per- 
fecution  was  exercifed  in  many  of  the  cities  of  Ger- 
manv.  In  thefe  circumftances  Luther  addreffed 
letters  of  confolation  to  the  citizens  of  Worms, 
Augfburg,  and  other  places,  where  his  friends  were 
perfecutedjas  they  alfo  were  in  the  Low  countries  ; 
the  promoters  of  the  perfecution  there  being  Ale- 
ander  the  nuncio,  feconded  by  Nicolas  D'Eg- 
mond  the  Carmelite,  and  James  Hochfirat  the 
Dominican  ;  Margaret  filler  of  the  emperor,  and 
governefs  of  thofe  provinces,  lending  them  her  au- 
thority. Three 


Sec!.    IV.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        2{Sf 

Three  perfons,  monks  of  Vilv  oorde,  not  yield- 
ing to  any  promifes  or  threats,  were  conduced  to 
Bruffels,  and  that  their  punifhment  might  have  the 
greater  efFeft,  two  ot  them,  whofe  names  were 
Henry  Voes,  and  John  de  EflTe,  were  fentenced  to 
be  publicly  burned  alive  ;  after  being  formally  de- 
graded. The  younger  of  them  was  firfl  brought 
to  the  public  fquare  of  the  city,  a  handfome  young 
man,  of  a  mild  and  modeft  appearance.  They  pur- 
pofely  employed  more  than  an  hour  in  degrading 
him,  tho'  he  did  every  thing  that  he  was  ordered 
to[do  with  furprizing  quicknefs ;  faying,  "  1  wiii 
*' be  obedient  even  unto  death,"  and  all  the  time 
fhewed  the  greateft  tranquility  and  meeknefs,which 
aflonifhed  the  fpedators,  and  filled  them  with 
compaflion. 

When  this  tedious  ceremony  was  over,  and 
they  were  both  brought  to  the  pile,  they  faid, 
*'  This  is  the  happy  day  which  we  have  long  wait- 
*•  ed  for,"  and  profelfing  that  they  died  in  the  faith 
of  Jefus  Chrift,  and  the  catholic  church,  they  em- 
braced the  flake  to  which  they  were  faflened,  and 
when  the  fire  was  lighted,  they  began  to  fing  the 
creed,  and  continued  to  (ing  till  the  flames  ilifled 
their  voices,  but  did  not  efface  from  their  counte- 
nances an  air  of  firmnefs,  and  even  of  joy.  Luther 
compofed  an  hymn  in  memory  of  this  martyrdom, 
^vhich  was  long  fung  in  the  churches.  He  alfo 
Q.  2  wrot'i 


fiW  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXIL 

wrote  to  his  friends  in  the  Low  countries  exhorting 
them  to  patience,  and  conftancy,  blefling  God  for 
the  conlecration  of  the  new  harveft,  by  thefe  holy 
fiifl  fruits. 

At  this  time,  a.  d.  1523,  Albert  of  Branden- 
burg, grand  rnafter  of  Pruffia,  declared  in  favour 
of  the  reformation.  It  alfo  made  great  progrefs  in 
Silelia,  having  been  begun  there  by  John  Thurfon 
bifhop  of  Breflaw,  who  died  in  a.  d.  1520,  when 
he  was  fucceeded  by  James  de  Seltz,  who  followed 
his  fteps.  The  duke  of  Savoy  was  alfo  much  in- 
clined to  the  reformation,  and  Luther  wrote  to 
him  on.  the  fubje6t ;  but  he  was  fo  circumftanced, 
that  it  would  have  been  peculiarly  hazardous  ior 
him  to  have  done  any  thing  openly  in  favour  of 
it. 

Zuinglius  had  all  this  time  been  preaching 
with  great  fuccefs  in  Zurich,  notwithftanding  all 
the  oppofition  that  the  friends  of  the  pope  could 
givetd  him,  efpecially  by  endeavouring  to  excite 
the  other  cantons  againft  that.  The  magiftiates, 
dreading  the  efFefts  of  thefe  machinations,  with 
the  advice  of  Zuinglius,  called  a  general  afTembly 
for  the  29th  of  January,  a.  d.  1523,  when  they 
invited  the  bilhop  of  Conflance  to  attend  either  in 
perfon  or  by  a  deputy,  in  order  to  hear  Zuinglius 
explain  his  fentiments,  with  liberty  to  any  perfon 

to 


Sec.  IV-      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      24.S 

to  impugn  them,  provided  they  argued  from  the 
fcriptures.  They  alfo  invited  the  other  ftates  of 
the  union  to  fend  their  learned  ecclefiaflics.     " 

The  bifhop  fent  John  Faber  his  grand  vicar, 
with  two  other  theologians,  and  his  chancellor ; 
and  there  was  a  great  concourfe  of  people  on  the 
occafion.  Before  this  afifembly  Zuinglius  propoled 
his  doftrine  in  fixty  feven  propofitions,  which  he 
had  printed  and  difperfed  previous  to  the  meeting. 
But  he  could  not  provoke  any  difcuffion  on  the 
fubjefts  ;  Faber  referring  them  to  a  council  which 
he  faid  would  be  held  foon,  but  which  Zuinglius 
faid  would  never  be  held  at  all.  At  length  Faber 
being  incautioufly  drawn  to  difpute  about  the  wor- 
Ihip  of  faints,  and  alleging  no  proofs  but  from  coun- 
cils, without  producing  any  arguments  from  the 
fcriptures,  and  being  reminded  of  it,  faid  we  can 
do  without  them.  The  magiftrates  feeing  no  good 
end  anfwered  by  this  afifembly,  diffoived  it,  and 
ordered  all  the  clergy  of  the  city  to  preach  nothing 
but  what  was  contained  in  the  fcriptures,  and  to 
difregard  all  human  tradilions,  but  to,  refrain  horn 
ail  invetlives,  and  endeavour  to  promote  peace. 

The  conful  of  Zurich  called  a  fecond  aOembly 
the  fame  year,  for  the  fakeot  difcuffing  the  fubjc6i 
of  the  worfhip  of  images,  and  the  facrifice  of  the 
mafs;  and  this  was  more  numeroufly  attended 
than  the  former.     It  continued  three  days,  op  the 

O  3  laa 


54(i  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXH 

lad  of  which  Zuinglius  fpoke  in  fo  afFeciing  a 
jnanner,  that  being  in  tears  himfelf,  he  drew  tears 
from  many  of  the  audience.  In  conciufion  it  was 
left  to  the  fenate  to  correfl;  the  abufes  complained 
of. 

In  this  year  a.  d.  1523,  Frederic  the  eleQor 
Palatin,  and  Lewis  count  Palatin  of  Deux- 
ponts,  embraced  the  reformation,  and  they  both 
reformed  the  abufes  in  public  worfhip,  the  latter 
on  the  plan  of  Zuinglius.  In  this  year  alfo  the 
Jiohemian  brethren  fent  one  of  their  minifters  to 
Luther,  to  confer  with  him  on  the  fubjeft  of  their 
common  faith  ;  and  in  confequence  of  it,  he  was 
led  to  entertain  a  much  more  favourable  opini- 
on of  them  than  he  had  done  before.  He  after-  ^^ 
wards  dedicated  to  them  a  treatife  on  the  ado- 
ration of  the  body  of  Jefus  Chrift  ;  and  after 
commending  them  for  rej(:6ling  human  tradi- 
tions, a  purgatory,  and  the  worfhip  of  faints,  he 
blamed  them  for  not  admitting  the  corporal  pre- 
fence,  and  faith  in  young  children,  and  for  making 
holinefs  an  effential  condition  of  juftification. 
Fiom  this  it  is  evident  that  the  Bohemian  brethren 
held  a  much  more  rational  do6i;rine  than  Luther. 
lie  held  that  in  baptifm  faith  was  communicated 
to  young  children  by  the  operation  of  the  Holy 
i^  Spixit,  in  confequence  of  the  prayeis  of  the  church. 

For 


Sec.  IV.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         217 

For,  thinking  faith  to  be  neceflary  to  baptifm,  he 
thought  that  on  any  other  fuppofition,  it  were  bet- 
ter not  to  baptize  them  at  all. 

In  the  year  a,   d.    1523  Bennon   bilhop  of 
Mulfen  who  lived  in  the  time  of  the  emperor  Hen- 
ry IV,   was  cononized,  and  among  his  merits,  re- 
cited in  this  bull,  mention  is  made  of  his  ftrenu- 
ous  oppolition  to  that  emperor,  and  his  unfhakcn 
attachment  to  Gregory  VII,  when  moft  of  the  o- 
ther  biftiops  deferLed  him.     A  number  of  miracles 
of  the  mofl  improbable  kind  were  alfo  recited,  and 
^mong  them  his  appearing  to  the  margrave   Wil- 
liam after  his  death, and  tearing  out  one  ot  his  eyes. 
This  gave  a  fine  handle  to  Luther  to  write  on  the 
fubjeO;  of  canonization  in  general,  and  the  effron- 
tery of  the  pope  in  canonizing  a  rebel  to  his  prince, 
and  to  expufe  the  pretended  miracles.   He  was  an- 
f  wered  by  Emfer,  who  had  written  the   life  of  the 
newfaint,and  boafled  of  hisgrandinftallationinthe 
church  of  MeiflTen,  fortelling  that  hii  fcftival  would 
be  perpetual.     But  fifteen  years   after    this  it  wus 
abolifhed. 

In  the  fame  year  fome  nuns  left  the  monaflery 
at  Nimpfchen,  and  among  them  was  Catherine 
Bore,  the  f:ime  who  two  years  after  was  married  to 
Luther.  They  were  condu£led  to  Wittemberg, 
and  the  eledtor  provided  for  their  maintenance,  as 

p  4  their 


248  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXIl. 

their  relations,  notwithftanding  the  addrefs  of  Lu- 
ther to  them  in  their  favour,  refufed  to  receive 
them.  Their  example  was  afterwards  followed  by- 
other  nuns. 


SECTION  V. 

The  Progrefs  of  the  Reformation  from  the  Pontiji- 
cate  of  Clement  VII  a.  d.  1523,  to  the  Meeting 
of  the  Diet  at  Augfburg  a.  d.  1526. 

XjlDRIAN  VI  dying  in  September  ^, 
p.  1523,  was  fucceeded  by  Julius  de  Medicis,*the 
jiatural  fon  ol  Julian  who  was  murdered  in  a.  d. 
1478.  He  took  the  name  of  Clement  VII,  and 
was  much  more  of  a  politician  than  his  predecef- 
for,  tho'  his  refined  policy  was  in  feveral  rerpe6l3 
injurious  to  the  interefts  of  his  fee.  .But  in  thefe 
difficult  times  it  is  probable  that  no  policy  what- 
ever would  have  fucceeded  any  better.  The  car- 
dinals, however,  and  all  the  friends  of  the  court  of 
Rome,  rejoiced  exceedingly  on  the  death  ot  Adri- 
an, who  was  both  hated  and  defpifed  by  them   all, 


Sec.  V.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*        249 

chiefly  becaufe  he  was  a  friend  to  reformation, 
which  they  dreaded.  The  lafl  aft  of  his  pontifi- 
cate was  the  canonization  of  Bennon  above  men- 
tioned. 

In  A.  D.  1524  all  the  cantons  of  Switzerland, 
except  that  ot  Zurich,  affembled  at  Lucern  Janu- 
ary 26,  when  they  expreffed  their  refolution  to 
maintain  the  catholic  faith.  At  the  fame  time 
they  fent  a  deputation  to  the  magiflrates  of  Zurich, 
defiring  them  to  reftore  the  antient  worfhip  ;  but 
faying  that,  if  the  pope,  or  any  of  the  clergy,  had 
incroached  upon  the  rights  of  the  temporalty, 
they  were  willing  to  deliberate  with  them  on  the 
means  of  throwing  ofF  that  yoke.  The  fenate  of 
Zurich  in  reply  explained  their  principles  and 
condu£i:  at  large,  and  exprelled  their  wifh,  that  if 
they  had  any  thing  to  obje6l  to  them  they  might 
be  informed  of  it  in  the  fpace  of  two  months. 
Having  no  anfwer,  they  proceeded  in  the  work  of 
reformation,  removing  the  images  from  the  church- 
es ;  but  for  the  pre  fent  they  left  the  mafs  as  it 
was,  waiting  till  the  people  at  large  fhould  be  bet- 
ter informed.  The  bifhop  of  Conftance  anfwer- 
ing  the  fenate,  they  gladly  laid  hold  on  the  oppor- 
tunity of  making  their  fcntiments  more  public, 
that  the  world  might  judge  of  them. 

The  policy  of  Clement  ^Vith  refpeft  to  Germa- 
ny was  the  reverfe  of  that  of  Adrian.  His  great 
O  n  »  aim 


250 


THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 


aim  was  to  elude  the  cnl'ing  of  acouncil,and  to  keep 
up  the  abufes  of  the  court  of  Rome  as  long  as  pof- 
fibie.  The  diet  of  the  empire  being  held  this  year 
at  Nuremberg  in  the  month  of  November,  Cam- 
pegio  was  fent  to  it  with  thefe  views  of  the 
pope  as  legate.  13 at  it  appeared  by  the  cir- 
cumllances  attending  his  journey,  and  his  reception, 
that  a  very  great  change  had  taken  place  in  the 
ftate  of  things.  As  he  pafied  thro'  Augfburg, 
which  he  entered  in  theufual  manner,  with  much 
ceremony,  the  crofs  being  carried  before  him, 
while  he  gave  the  benediftion  to  the  people,  they 
ridiculed  him  in  fuch  a  manner  that  his  own  follow- 
ers could  not  refrain  from  laughing.  To  avoid 
the  fame  infults  he  entered  Nuremberg  in  the  habit; 
of  a  traveller;  fo  that  when  a  few  perfons  of  dif- 
iin£lion  went  to  meet  him  they  were  difappointed. 

When  he  v/cnt  to  the  diet  he  was  preceded 
only  by  the  bidiops  of  Treves  and  of  Bamberg, 
but  by  no  fecular  prince  whatever;  and  tho' while 
he  was  in  the  city  one  of  the  preachers  m  a  public 
difcourfe  called  the  pope  anti-chrilt,  he  did  pot 
think  proper  to  call  iir  his  punifhment.  When 
Ferdinand  reproached  the  fenate  of  Nurember  »• 
with  their  attachment  to  Lutheranifm,  it  was  with- 
out an}'  effecr,  and  the  monks  of  St.  Auftin  ad- 
miniftered  the  Lord's  Supper  at  this  time  in  both 
kinds  to  more  than  four  thoufand  perfons.     The 

queea 


S£C.  V.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        251 

queen  of  Denmark,  who  was  then  at  Nuremberg, 
received  it  in  this  manner.  The  legate  had  brought 
a  very  flattering  letter  to  the  eleftor  of  Saxony; 
but  being  very  ill,  he  had  left  the  diet  before  his 
arrival. 

The  principal  obje£l  of  the  legate  was  to  get 
the  edi£l  of  the  diet  of  Worms  enforced;  but  tho' 
he  was  Teconded  by  the  ambaffador  of  the  emperor, 
fo  much  oppoGtion  was  made  to  the  meafure,  that 
it  was  only  carried  with  this  addition,  "  as  far  as 
"  it  fliall  be  pofTible."  It  was  alfo  decreed  at  this 
diet  that  the  pope  fhould  call  a  free  council  in 
Germany,  and  that,  in  the  mean  time,  a  diet 
(hould  be  held  at  Spire  on  the  loth  of  November, 
to  fettle  thefe  differences,  that  each  of  the  princ- 
es fhould  ehoofe  in  his  own  eflates  perfons  of 
knowledge  and  probity  to  examine  the  books  of 
modern  writers,  and  report  concerning  them  ;  that 
in  the  mean  time  the  gofpel  fhould  be  preached 
with  purity  and  modefty,  and  that  every  thing  ot 
a  fatirical  nature  fhould  be  avoided.  It  was  alfo 
ordered  that  the  perfons  chofea  by  the  princes 
fhould  examine  the  grievances,  a  lift  of  which  the 
fccular  princes  had  prefented  as  well  again  ft  the 
court  of  Rome,  as  againft  the  prelates,  and  endea- 
vour to  find  means  to  fatisfy  both  parties ;  and  that 
on  their  report  the  next  diet  fhould  come  to  fome 
final  refolution. 

This 


2^2  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

This  decree  gave  great  offence  to  the  legate, 
but  all  his  remonftrances  could  not  prevail  to  have 
it  altered.  On  the  other  hand  great  objedion  was 
made  to  it  by  the  imperial  cities,  which  were  al- 
moft  all  inclined  to  Lutheranifm,  and  by  the  counts, 
who  differed  with  their  princes,  and  entered  a  pro- 
tell  againft  the  decree.  Alfo  the  prelates,  who  by 
their  fuperior  number  had  carried  the  decree  in  the 
diet,  could  not  agree  with  Ferdinand  the  emperor's 
brother.  For  tho'  they  concurred  with  him  in  his 
wifh  to  exterminate  Lutheranifm,  they  would  not 
concede  to  his  demand,  tho'  the  pope  had  confent- 
ed  to  it,  of  one  third  of  their  revenues  for  the  war 
againft  the  Turks. 

While  the  legate  was  at  Nuremberg,  there  was 
brought  before  him  a  dilpute  between  the  fenate  of 
Strafburg  and  the  bilhop  of  that  city,  who  com- 
plained that  his  clergy  were  publicly  married, 
while  they  complained  that  for  a  moderate  fum  he 
allowed  others  of  the  clergy  to  have  concubines, 
which  they  took  and  difmilfed  at  pleafure.  The 
legate  could  not  avoid  condemning  the  praclice  of 
concubinage,  tho'  in  extenuation  of  it,  he  faid 
that  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  all  men  to  live  like 
John  the  Baptift.  But  he  faid  that  the  marriage 
of  priefts  was  much  more  criminal.  The  magif- 
trates,    however,    notwithftanding    this   decifion, 

prote6lcd 


Sec.  V.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        253 

proteded  the  married  priefts,  and  endeavoured  by 
every  means  to  promote  the  reformation. 

In  one  thing,  however,  the  legate  had  more 
fuccefs.  He  procured  that  the  former  regency  of 
the  empire,  who  were  chiefly  Lutherans,  and  held 
their  fittings  at  Nuremberg,  fhould  be  difmiffed, 
on  the  pretence  that  the  funds  for  their  mainten- 
ance were  exhaufted,  and  other  regents,  all  papiUs 
were  appointed,  and  they  held  their  fittings  at 
Eflingue,  a  city  in  the  power  of  Ferdinand.  The 
ekdlor  of  Saxony  hearing  of  this,  protefled  agamft 
all  that  fliould  be  done  by  thofe  regents,  either 
againft  the  reformed  religion,  or  the  liberties  of 
the  Rates  of  the  empire.  The  legate  alfo  procured 
by  the  help  of  Ferdinand,  a  league  of  the  popilh 
princes  and  Rates  for  the  defence  of  the  antient  re- 
ligion, and  for  the  fuppreffion  of  Lutkeranifm. 
This  was  called  the  league  of  Suabia,  and  tho'  it 
did  not  conliR  of  more  than  one  fixth  part  of  the 
German  empire,  it  had  difagreeable  confequences, 
as  it  obliged  the  sealous  proteRant  princes  to  enter 
into  a  fimilar  league  for  their  own  defence. 

The  emperor,  who  was  then  in  Spain,  was 
exceedingly  dilFatisfied  with  the  decrees  of  this 
diet,  and  fignified  his  dilapprobation  of  them  in  a 
letter  to  the  princes,  in  fuch  a  manner  as  <Tave 
great  offence.  In  his  letter  to  the  eleftor  of  Saxo- 
ny, he  particularly  obferved,  that  the  calling  of  a 

general 


2X4  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.   XXIL 

general  council  belonged  to  himfelf  and  the  pope, 
as  well  as  the  fixing  on  the  place  in  which  it  fhould 
be  held.  He  exprefsly  forbad  the  meeting  ©f  the 
diet  at  Spires,  and  ordered  the  execution  of  the 
edi61;  at  Worms.  The  anfwer  of  the  eleclor  was 
refpeftful,  and  he  afTured  him  that  neither  himfelf 
nor  his  brother  had  any  thing  in  view  but  the  glory 
of  God,  the  progrefs  of  truth,  and  the  repofe  of 
the  empire.  Tho'  the  emperor's  letter  prevented 
the  meeting  of  the  diet  of  Spires,  it  only  irritated 
the  princes  and  flates  of  the  empire,  and  did  not 
procure  the  execution  of  the  edi6^  of  Worms. 
Por  no  legard  was  paid  to  it  in  ^the  greater  part  of 
Germany. 

Luther  was  as  much  dilTatisfied  with  the  edi6t 
of  Nuremberg  as  the  pope  or  the  emperor,  and  he 
printed  both  it  and  that  of  Worms  with  remarks, 
in  order  to  fhew  the  contradi£lion  between  them. 
In  this  publication  he  abated  nothing  of  his  ufual 
fpirit.  He  lamented  the  blindnefs  of  his  country- 
men and  of  their  princes,  as  always  tantalized  by 
the  pope,  whofe  tyranny  they  endeavoured  to 
Hrengthen.  He  alfo  reproached  the  emperor  and 
the  kings  of  England  and  of  Hungary,  with  their 
ufurpation  ot  the  title  of  Defender  of  the  Faith, 
when  they  were  in  reality  making  war  upon  the 
faith.  He  diflfuaded  them  from  making  war  on 
the  Turks,  as  he  f?id  it  would  never  fucceed,  if  it 

w?s 


Sec,  V.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        'iSS 

was  made  by  perfecutors.  He  faid  that  he  did 
not  fear  death,  but  that  his  death  would  be  fatal  to- 
his  enemies. 

The  good  ele£l3r  of  Saxony,  now  old  and  dy- 
ing, was  much  diftrefTcd  at  the  prefent  afpecl  of 
things.  The  league  of  Suabia,  at  the  head  of 
which  were  the  houfes  of  Auftria  and  Bavaria; 
might  do  him  great  injury.  He  had  alfo  a  near 
relation,  George  duke  of  Saxony,  whofe  ambition 
would  be  aided  by  the  pretence  of  religion ;  and 
it  was  the  known  defign  of  the  pope  to  ruin  him 
as  the  chief  fupport  of  the  reformation,  and  de- 
prive him  of  the  eleftorate.  But  at  this  time  provi- 
dence raifed  up  feveral  friends  to  this  caufe.  Thei 
landgrave  of  Hefle  now  openly  declared  for  the 
reformation,  as  did  Albert  duke  of  Brandenburg-, 
a  young  and  courageous  prince,  George  de  Po- 
lentz  of  an  illuftrious  houfe  in  Mifnia,  and  the 
bifhop  of  the  diftrift  of  Samland. 

The  declaration  of  this  bifhop  in  favour  ol  the 
reforrhation  gave  particular  fatisfa6lion  to  Luther. 
Writing  to  Spalatin  at  this  time,  he  faid,  the  princ- 
es andbifhops  now  acknowledge  that  it  is  not  Lu- 
ther,  a  man  of  nothing,  but  Jefus  Chrifl:,  who  is 
all  powerful,  that  does  thefe  wonders.  At  thi'?- 
time  alfo  the  cities  of  Magdeburg,  Nuremberg,  and 
Strafb'jrg,  ernbraced  the  reformation  ;  and  wh-^n 
the  firfl  of  thefe  was  threatened  by  the  imperial  re-- 

gCiiCjP 


256  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXil. 

gency,  they  prepared  for  their  defence.  The  re- 
formation was  alfo  eftablifhed  in  Weilphalia,  in 
the  city  of  Brunfwick,  tho'  the  duke  was  one  of  its 
greateft  enemies,  in  the  dutchy  of  Mecklenberg,  in 
Pomerania,  Livonia,  Bremen,  and  Holftein,  and 
even  in  Leipfic,  notwithftanding  the  oppofition  of 
the  duke  of  Saxony; 

In  the  year  a.  d.  1524  Carolftadt  was  obliged 
to  leave  Wittemberg  through  the  violence  of  Lu- 
ther, who  had  annulled  every  thing  that  he  had 
done  during  his  abfence  ;  and  having  procured 
him  to  be.  expelled  Saxony,  he  took  refuge  in 
Strafburg,  whither  alfo  Luther  purfued  him  by 
violent  letters.  Their  principal  difference  of  opi- 
nion refpedled  the  eucharifl;  Luther  maintain- 
ing that  the  body  of  Chrift  was  really  prefent  in  it. 
whereas  Carolftadt  faid  it  was  fo  only  by  way  of 
figure.  Zuinglius  and  OEcolampadius  taking 
the  part  of  Carolftadt,  Luther  wrote  againft  thera 
with  great  violence  i  and  this  difpute,  which  conti- 
nued a  long  time,  did  great  injury  to  the  caufe  of 
the  reformation.  Several  perfons  endeavoured  to 
compofe  this  difference,  but  without  fuccefs. 

Erafmus  had  been  long  urged  in  the  moft  preff- 
ing  and  the  moft  flattering  manner  to  engage  in 
the  controverfy  with  Luther.  Pope  Adrian  had 
conjured  him  to  do  it  moft  earneftly  ;  calling  him 
^'  the  only  and  laft  hope  ol  the  church."     He  was 

joined 


Sec.    V.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      257 

joined  by  Campegio,  and  Tonftal  bifhop  of  Lon- 
don preffed  him  ftrongly  on  the  part  of  the  king 
of  England.  At  length,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
charge  of  herefy,  and  fearing  to  lofe  his  penfion, 
from  the  catholic  princes,  tho'  he  dreaded  the  vio- 
lence of  Luther;  after  alleging  his  age,  and  mak- 
ing other  excufes,  he  undertook  to  write  againft 
what  he  had  advanced  on  the  fubje6l  of  free-will. 
Luther  endeavoured  to  diffuade  him  from  his 
purpofe,  tho' without  fhewing  any  fear  of  him; 
but  at  the  fame  time  reflefting  upon  him  lor 
his  diffimulation,  and  want  of  courage  in  defence 
of  the  truth. 

This  offended  Erafmus;  and  in  his  reply, 
he  {aid  he  had  contributed  more  to  the  difco- 
very  of  truth  than  thofe  who  boafted  fo  much 
of  their  being  the  apoftles  of  it.  When  this  piece 
came  out,  it  appeared  fo  be  written  in  fuch  a  man- 
ner as  pleafed  no  party,  and  Erafmus  owned  to 
his  friends  that  in  defending  the  free  will  of  man 
he  had  given  up  his  own.  For  he  acknowledged 
to  Melan^hon,  that  it  was  much  againft  his  will 
that  he  had  entered  the  lifts  with  Luther;  that  it 
\vd^  only  to  avoid  the  charge  ot  herefy,  and  avert 
the  vengeance  of  the  church  of  Rome.  Luther, 
finding  himfelf  not  much  hart  by  this  treatife  of 
Erafmus,  deferred  his  anfiver  till  the  next  year. 

Vol.  V.  R  In 


258  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

In  A.  D.  1524  Luther  quitted  the  habit  of  a 
monk,  and  took  that  of  a  doftor  ;  and  the  prior 
being  the  only  perfon  who  remained  with  him  in 
the  monaftery,  they  refigned  the  revenues  into  the 
hands  of  the  ele6lor,  as  that  of  Hertfberg  had  been 
before  ;  but  he  advifed  that  the  funds  fliould  be 
difpofed  of  to  pious  and  charitable  ufes,  blaming 
thofe  princes  who  feized  upon  the  goods  of  the 
church. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  William  Farrel,  who 
contributed  largely  to  the  reformation  in  Switzer- 
land, came  to  Balil.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  Gap 
in  Dauphine,  fludied  at  Paris,  and  in  a.  d.  1522 
was  invited  by  Briflbnet  bifhop  of  Meaux  to  preach 
in  his  church.  But  the  parliament  of  Paris  begin- 
ning to  perfecute  the  reformers  the  year  following, 
he  went  to  Strafbur^j,  where  he  became  acquainted 
with  Wolfgang,  Capito,  and  Bucer.  Thence 
he  went  to  Bafil,  where  he  propofed  a  conference 
with  the  literati  of  the  place.  But  his  thefes  ap- 
pearing heretical  to  the  heads  of  the  univerfity, 
they  would  not  fufFer  the  difputation  to  be  in  pub- 
lic. The  fenate,  however,  thinking  better  of  them, 
permitted  him  to  fix  them  up  at  the  college. 

In  A.  D.  1525,  Francis  I  was  taken  prifoner  by 
Charles  at  the  famous  battle  of  Pavia,  and  in  a 
confultation  what  ufe  he  Qiould  make  of  his  vi6lo- 

ry 


S£C.   V.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       259 

TV,  the  bifhop  of  Ofmo  advifed  the  giving  him 
his  liberty,  and  treating  him  generoufly  ;  for  this 
reafon  among  others,  that  by  their  cordial  union 
the  progiefs  of  the  Turks  might  be  flopped,  and 
Lutheranifm  entirely  fuppieffed.  This  meafure, 
which  would  probably  have  been  fatal  to  the  re- 
formation, was  overruled  by  the  advice  of  the 
duke  of  Alva  and  others,  in  confequence  of  which 
fuch  hard  terms  were  propofed  to  Francis  that  he 
rejefted  them  with  indignation  ;  and  thus  a  foun- 
dation was  laid  for  fuch  contefls  between  thcTe 
great  rivals  for  power,  as  v/as  highly  favourable 
to  the  progrefs  of  the  reformation.  At  the  fame 
time  a  dread  of  the  increafing  power  of  Charles, 
who  was  evidently  aiming  at  univerfal  monarchy, 
united  all  the  powers  of  Europe  againfl  him,  and 
among  them  the  pope  himfelf. 

The  German  peafantry  had  long  been  griev- 
oufly  oppreffed,  efpecially  by  the  rich  ecclefiaflics, 
and  were  burdened  with  taxes  unknown  to  their 
anceftors.  This  had  frequently  been  the  occafion 
of  revolts,  and  much  blood  had  been  fhed  in  the 
redudlion  of  them.  But  the  year  a.  d.  1525  was 
diflinguifhed  by  a  revolt  much  more  general  than 
any  of  the  preceding,  efpecially  in  Suabia,  where 
the  opprefiion  was  the  greateft.  It  began  on  the 
ufual  ground  of  civil  oppreffion  ;  but  afterwards 
the  revolters  availed  themfelves  of  the  prevailing 
R  2  fentiments 


260  THEHISrORYOF        Per.XXIL 

fentiments  with  refpe6l  to  freedom  in  religious 
matters  ;  and  by  this  means  brought  a  great  fcan- 
dal  upon  the  reformation.  They  demanded,  a- 
mong  other  things,  the  power  of  chufing  their  own 
minifters.  They  alfo  faid  that,  as  chriftians,  they 
ought  not  to  be  the  flaves  they  had  been,  attached  to 
the  foil.  They  did  not  reje6l  all  authority  ofmagif- 
tracy,  but  faid  they  would  only  obey  them  in 
things  thaf^vere  lawful.  They  claimed  the  free- 
dom of  hunting  and  fifhing,  and  fome  regulations 
in  the  payment  of  tithes.  The  reft  ot  their  de- 
mands, which  made  twelve  articles,  were  intirely 
of  a  civil  nature. 

On  this  occafion  both  Luther  and  Melanfthon 
addreffed  the  public.     The  latter  was    of   opinion 
that  the  demands  of  the  peafants  were   reafonable, 
and  agreeable  to  the  fcriptures  ;   and  he   exhorted 
the  princes  to  behave  towards  them  with  clemency. 
Luther  advifed  obedience  to  magiftrates,    however 
unjuft,    as  Chrift,  he  faid,  bad   Peter    put  up  his 
fword  into  the  fcabbard,  and  his  church  flounfhcd 
in  confequence  of  his  bearing  all  the   injuries  that 
were  offered  to  him,  without  making  the  leaft  ra- 
il ftance.     If,  faid  he,  the  people   do  not   approve 
^f  the  minifters  appointed  by  the  magiftrates,  who 
have  the  difpofal  of  the  revenues, they  fhould  peace- 
ably withdraw,  and  maintain  their  own  minifters  ; 
and  that  private  perfons  have  no   right  to  change 

eftabliftied 


Sec.  V.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         261 

eftabliflied  cuftoms.  At  the  fame  time,  however, 
headdreffed  the  princes  with  great  freedom  ;  tell- 
ing them  that  they  were  the  real  caufes  of  the  dif- 
turbance,  efpecially  the  ecclefiaftical  princes ;  and 
he  forewarned  them  of  the  judgements  of  God  if 
they  continued  to  oppofe  the  progrefs  of  the  gof- 
pel,  and  of  reafonable  liberty,  as  he  faid  they  did 
againft  their  own  confciences,  and  he  concluded 
with  giving  excellent  advice  to  both  parties.  But 
this  advice  was  difregarded  by  both.  The  revolt 
continued,  and  much  blood  was  fhed  before  it  was 
terminated,  as  thefe  revolts  always  had  been,  by 
the  redu6tion  of  the  infurgents  ;  tho'  in  lome 
places  the  lords  gave  them  favourable  terms. 

Among  the  chiet  of  thefe  revoltcrs  appeared 
Muncer  above  mentioned.  He  pretended  to  di- 
vine illuminations,  declaimed  againfi.  Luther  as 
much  as  againft  the  pope,  and  became  very  popu- 
lar with  the  commonalty.  He  took  down  the 
names  of  his  difcioles,  and  made  them  take  an  oath 
to  extirminate  wicked  princes,  and  appoint  new 
ones.  When  his  defigns  were  known,  he  v/as 
driven  out  ol  Saxony,  and  went  to  Nuremberg, 
and  being  banifhed  from  that  city  he  went  to  Mui- 
haufen,  where  he  had  fome  partifans,  and  by  their 
help  he  feized  upon  the  place,  and  taking  poffefii- 
on  of  a  rich  monaftery,  he  became  the  fovereignqf 
the  city.  In  this  capacity  he  decided  all  caufes  by 
R  3  the 


^ 


262  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

the  bible,  or  pretended  revelations  to  himfelf,  and 
introduced  a  community  of  goods.  During  two 
years  he  only  threatened  the  neighbouring  princes, 
but  now  that  the  peafants  were  in  arms,  he  invited 
them  to  join  him,  call  cannon,  and  formed  an 
army. 

One  PfeiflFer,  who  had  perfuaded  him  to  take 
this  flep  fooner  than  he  otherwife  would  have 
done  marched  out  of  the  city,  plundered  the 
neighbouring  territory,  and  took  fome  prifoners; 
but  Muncer  himfelf,  who  had  put  himfelf  at  the 
head  of  three  hundred  men,  was  defeated  by  Al- 
bert of  Mansfieldt.  Notwithftanding  this,  he  wrote 
him  an  infolent  letter,  commanding  him  to  aban- 
don the  corrupt  do£lrine  of  Luther,  and  join  him. 
But  his  army  being  attacked  by  the  eledlor  John, 
who  hadjufl  fucceeded  his  brother  Frederic,  the 
landgrave  of  HelTe,  and  Henry  ofBrunfwick,  they 
were  foon  defeated,  and  Muncer  and  PfeifFcr  being 
taken  prifoners  were  beheaded  with  other  leaders 
of  the  party.  This  vv^ar  of  the  peafants  coll  the 
lives  of  fifty  thoufand  men. 

Luther  may  be  faid  to  have  been  in  fome  mea- 
fure  the  innocent  caufe  of  this  war,  by  hisinve6lives 
a-ainft  the  princes,  ecclefiafhcal  and  fecular,  for 
impeding  the  progrefs  of  the  golpel,  but  feeing  the 
advantage  which  the  common  people  took  of  this,and 
the   devaflations  they  made  in  the  country,  he  did 

every 


Sec.  V.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       253 

every  thing  in  his  power  to  prevent  thefe  excefTes  ; 
and  writing  on  the  fubjeft,  he  then,  with  his  ufu- 
al  violence,  exhorted  the  princes  to  deflroy  them 
like  wild  beads  ;  alluring  them  that,  whoever  died 
in  the  war  would  be  martyrs.  Being  on  this  ac'- 
cufed  of  exciting  the  princes  to  an  excefs  of  vio- 
lence, he  publifhed  an  apology,  but  it  gave  little 
fatisfaftion. 

The  excellent  elecJlor  Frederick  died  May 
5,  A.  D.  15'25,  juft  before  the  fuppreflion  of  this 
revolt;  and  before  he  died  he  exhorted  the  princes 
to  ufe  moderation  towards  the  deluded  multitude, 
and  punifh  only  their  leaders.  He  was  a  man 
univerfally  efteemed  for  every  great  quality  that 
can  adorn  a  prince,  efpecially  for  his  great  pru- 
dence (on  which  account  he  was  furnamed  the  Wife) 
his  lincerity,  his  piety,  and  his  regard  for  his  fub- 
je6ls.  He  was  withal  well  made,  and  had  an  air 
of  great  dignity,  tho'  mild  and  condefcending  in 
his  behaviour.  Before  Luther  appeared  he  was  fo 
zealous  a  catholic,  that  he  employed  the  firfl  year 
o\  his  reign  in  colletling  relicks,  and  multiplying 
canons  and  priefls  in  the  church  of  All  Saints,  in 
which  near  ten  thoufand  ma  fifes  were  faid  ex  try 
year  ;  and  the  number  of  relicks,  it  was  faid,  a- 
mounted  to  feveral  thoufands.  He  ufed  great  cau- 
tion in  favouring  the  reformation,  and  did  not  en- 
courage the  exercife  of  the  new  religion  till  he  faw 
R  4  Uiat 


264,  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

that  it  was  generally  wifhed  for,  and  the  with-h^ld- 
ing  of  it  was  in  fome  mealure  the  caufe  of  the  re- 
volt of  the  peafants.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  difpofed  to  grant  it  univerfally. 

His  brother  John,  who  fucceeded  him,  had 
not  all  his  great  qualities ;  but  he  had  the  fame 
good  difpofition,  and  the  fame  firmnefs,  whence 
he  was  called  the  Good,  and  the  Conjlant.  But  in 
his  fon  John  Frederic,  furnamed  the  Magnanimous^ 
they  were  all  united.  He  was,  tho'  young,  prime 
minifter  to  his  father,  and  thinking  Frederick  to 
have  been  too  complaifant  to  the  emperor  and  the 
court  of  Rome,  he  joined  heartily  with  the  land- 
grave of  HefTe  in  a  refolution  to  eflablifti  the  re- 
formation at  all  events.  Their  relation,  duke 
George,  whofe  daughter  the  landgrave  had  married, 
Was  a  great  obftacle  to  them  ;  and  they  found  it 
impoflible  to  gain  him.  But  by  this  time  the  re- 
formation was,  after  feveial  public  difputations, 
firmly  eflablifhed  in  many  cities  of  the  empire,  as 
Nuremberg,  Bremen,  Dantzig,  and  Zcll,  but  efpe- 
cially  in  PrufTia. 

In  this  year,  a.  d.  1525,  Luther,  now  forty- 
two  years  old,  to  the  great  furprize  and  diffatisfac- 
tion  of  his  friends,  married.  The  wife  he  made 
choice  of  was  Catharine  Bore,  who  had  left  the 
nunnery  fome  time  before,  and  whom  Luther,  tho* 
he  had  an  inclination  for  her^  wifhed  to  have  mar- 
ried 


Sec.  V.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHIJRCH.        2G5 

ried  to  another  perfon,  being  apprehenfive  of  the 
inconveniences  that  might  arife  from  his  own  mar* 
rying.  But  (he  objefting  to  the  match  he  propo- 
fed,  and  his  father  wifhing  that  he  would  marry, 
he  yielded  to  his  own  and  their  inclinations.  The 
enemies  of  Luther  triumphed  greatly  in  this  event; 
and  this,  together  with  the  coolnefs  of  his  friends, 
diftreffed  him  much.  But  Melanflhon  encou- 
raged him,  tho*  he  could  have  wifhed  there  had 
been  no  occafion  for  it. 

Carollladt,  who  had  diflPered  with  Luther, 
wifhed  to  return  to  Saxony;  but  he  did  not  obtain 
the  leave  of  the  court  till  he  had  figned  a  retra£la- 
tion  of  what  had  given  offence  to  Luther.  By  this 
means  he  had  leave  to  live  in  a  private  manner, 
in  a  village  near  Wittemberg.  But  Luther  urging 
him  to  make  a  more  public  declaration  of  his  con- 
currence v.'ith  him  with  refpeft  to  the  dodrine  ot 
the  eucharifl,  he  found  it  neceffary  to  leave  Saxo- 
ny, and  go  to  Strafbarg.  It  being  however, 
thought  imprudent  to  receive  him,  left  the  magif- 
trates  fhould  offend  Luther  and  the  eleftor,  which 
would  have  been  inconvenient  to  them  in  their 
circumftances,  they  recommended  him  to  Zuing- 
lius,  who  received  him  with  much  kindnefs.  There 
he  was  made  archdeacon  of  the  principal  church, 
and  after  the  death  of  Zuinglius  he  was  invited  to 
Bali!,  where  he  both  preached  and  taught  in  their 
academy.  R  5  In 


256  THE  III3T0IIY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

In  the  mean  time  ZuingliuSj  who,  like  Carol- 
fladt,  denied  the   real    prefence,  did  not   think  it 
prudent  to  publilh  any  thing  on   the  fubjed;   but 
in  this  year,   a.    d.    1525,    CEcolampadius,  who 
thought  as  he  did,  and  was  a  man  of  great  modefty 
and  diffidence,  wrote   a   treatife  upon  it,  the  fale 
of  which  was  prohibited  by  the  magiftrates  of  Ba-« 
fil,  who  urged  Erafmus  to  anfwer  it;  but  he  ap- 
pears to  have  thought  too  well  of  it  to  engage  in 
the   ccntroverfy.      It  was,  however,  anfwered   by 
forne  miniRers  of  Suabia,  one  of  whom  was  Bren- 
tius.      CELcolampadius  replied,  and  Luther  prefix- 
ed a  preface  to  the  work  of   Brentius,  which   was 
very  difrefpeQful  to  the  Swifs ;   but  Zuinglius  and 
CEcolampadius  made  no  great  account  of  it.      Po- 
raeranus  alfo  wrote  on  the  fubje61:,  and  Zuinglius 
anfwered, him.     Various  other  perfons  alfo  appear- 
ed in  this  controverfy.     The  divines  of  Strafburg, 
defirous  ot  compofing  this   difference   among  the 
friends  of  reformation,  applied  to  Luther,  propo- 
fmg  that  both  parties   ihould  content  themfelvcs 
with  faying  in  general  terms,  that  Chrift  was  pre- 
fent  in  the  facrament,  without  faying  in  what  max- 
ner ;  but  Luther  replied,  that  the  article  was  of  fo 
much  importance,  that  one  or   the  other  of  them 
muft  be  the  minifters  of  Satan. 

The  pope,  without  attempting  any  means  of 
conviction  or  pqrfuafion,  bent  ail  his   policy  to 

procure 


Sec.  V.      TirE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*        267 

procure  the  fuppreffion  of  the  reformation  by  force. 
This  was  the  obje£l  of  all  his  treaties  with  fove- 
reign  princes ;  as  that  which  he  made  with  Cliarles 
after  the  viftory  of  Pavia,  in  which  it  was  faid  that 
the  pope  having  infinitely  more  at  heart  the  inter- 
eus  of  religion  than  his  own  private  advantage, 
faid  that  the  emperor,  the  king  of  England,  and 
the  archduke  Ferdinand,  muft  unite  all  their  forces 
to  make  war  on  the  corrupters  of  religion.  A  fimi- 
lar  claufe  was  inferted  in  a  treaty  which  he  made 
with  the  kings  of  France  and  England,  and  in  that 
which  Louifa,  the  mother  of  Francis,  made  with 
Henry  VIII,  Nor  was  it  forgotten  in  the  treaty 
made  at  Madrid,  between  Charles  and  Francis 
then  his  prifoner.  But  the  power  of  truth  raifed 
up  in  favour  of  the  reformation  the  common  peo- 
ple, and  feveral  princes,  which  defeated  the  fangu- 
in:  ry  policy  of  the  court  of  Rome. 

In  this  year  Luther  anfwered  the  treatife  of 
Erafmus  on  the  fubjedl  of  free  will.  But  Melanc- 
thon  did  not  approve  of  the  fentiments  of  Luther, 
and  the  Lutherans  in  general  came  to  adopt  the 
dodrine  of  Melandhon  on  this  fubjeft,  ivhich 
makes  eleftion  to  depend  on  certain  conditions  on 
the  part  of  man.  This  was  not,  however,  com- 
pletely efFeded  till  the  year  a.  d.  1580,  when 
Hegidius  Hunnius,  a  pro'eflbr  at  Wittemberg, 
defended  the   fentiments  cf  Melandhon,     In  che 

raertii 


368  THE  HISTORY  OF   '     Per.  XXH 

mean  time  Erafmus,  ivho  was  roughly  handled  in 
the  anfwer  of  Luther,  made  a  reply,  and  was  {o 
much  offended  that  he  was  ever  after  the  declared 
enemy  of  the  Lutherans,  and  omitted  no  opportu- 
nity of  fpeaking  ill  of  them. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  diet  of  the  empire  this 
year  at  Augfburg,  the  Catholics  maintained  that 
the  revolt  of  the  peafants  arofe  from  the  herefy  of 
Luther,  and  that  the  only  means  of  preventing 
new  troubles  was  to  extirpate  that  herefy;  and  a 
previous  meeting  of  the  eleftors  of  Mentz  and 
Brandenburg,  Henry  of  Brunfwick,  and  his  uncle 
Eric,  who  were  of  their  opinion,  at  DeiFau,  gave 
great  caufe  of  fufpicion  to  thofe  princes  who  were 
the  friends  of  the  reformation,  that  meafures  were 
taken  to  their  deftruftion.  They  therefore  found 
it  neceffar}*  to  Form  an  union  for  their  own  defence, 
and  at  Salfeld  they  entered  into  a  refolution  that 
they  would  never  fuffer  the  truth  to  be  extinguifh- 
ed,  and  informed  duke  George  of  it;  complaining 
at  the  fame  time  of  the  meeting  at  Deffau.  The 
magiflrates  of  the  cities  of  the  empire  alfo  affem- 
bled  lor  the  famepurpofe  at  U!m. 

In  the  mean  time  came  out  the  emperor's  edi6l; 
for  the  meeting  of  the  diet  the  ifl  of  Odober,  and 
his  order  for  tl.e  execution  of  the  edi^  of  Worms; 
and  in  his  letters  he  fpake  of  nothing  but  the  ex- 
tirpation of  the  herefy  of  Luther.     To  the  eic6lor 

of 


Src.  V.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CIZURCK.        Zo9 

of  Saxony,  however,  he  wrote  in  a  mi  Icier  manner, 
only  df  firing  that  he  would  attend  the  diet.  The 
regency  of  the  empire  alfo  required  the  fame,  but 
he  was  advifed  by  his  friends  to  take  care  of  his 
fafety,  apprizing  him  that  feveral  charges  would  be 
brought  agamll  him. 

This  condu6l  of  the  emperor,  however,  difpleaf- 
ed  not  only  thofc  princes  who  wifhed  for  a  refor- 
mation, but  thofe  who  had  at  heart  the  peace  of 
the  empire;  being  fenfible  that  the  fchemes  of  the 
emperor,  the  pope,  and  rhe  clergy,  and  the  violence 
of  the  zealous  Catholics,  were  the  caufe  of  the 
rigour  that  was  exercifed  againft  the  Proteftants. 

Alarmed  at  tbefe  threatening  appearances,  the 
landgrave  ot  HelTe  and  John  Frederic,  fon  of  the 
ele6ior,  met  in  order  to  confider  of  what  was  to 
be  done;  when  it  was  agreed  that  it  would  be  ad- 
vifable  that  all  the  friends  of  reformation  {hould 
make  a  common  caufe.  They  alfo  agreed  to  repre- 
fent  to  Ferdinand  the  inexpediencyof  executing  the 
cdi6l  ot  Worms,  and  that  it  was  more  reafonable 
to  examine  the  do6trine  of  Luther,  and  approve 
what  was  good  in  it;  and  that  it  was  abfolutely 
necfffary  to  retain  this  to  fatisfy  the  people,  and 
prefeive  the  peace  of  the  empire.  This  advice 
was  no:  much  difliked  by  Ferdinand.  The  eleftor 
Palatine  aJfo  and  the  eledor  of  Treves  approved 
of  it,  tho'  his  dignity  of  archbifliop  obliged  him  to 

ufe 


270  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.   XXII. 

ufe  great  caution.  Accordingly,  tlie  deputies  of 
the  landgrave  and  of  the  eleQor  of  Saxony  were 
direfted  to  remonftrate  againft  the  meafures  pro- 
pofed,  and  to  recommend  the  decrees  of  the  diet 
of  Nnremberg. 

While  thefe  princes  were  thinking  to  ftrength- 
en  themfelves  by  alliances, diretlions  were  given  to 
the  divines  of  Witteinberg  to  prepare  an  apology 
to  be  prefented  at  the  diet.  This  was  done,  dvi- 
dently  drawn  up  by  Melan6lhon,  and  it  concluded 
with  declaring,  that  they  confidered  the  do6lrine  of 
juflification  by  faith  independently  of  good  works 
to  be  fo  effential  to  the  chriftian  religion,  that  there 
were  no  troubles,  wars,  or  perfecutioUj  that  fhould 
oblige  any  of  them  to  deny  it. 

When  the  diet  was  held,  it  was  not  numeroufly 
attended.  There  was  no  ecclefiaftic  there  except 
the  bifhop  of  Trent,  and  but  few  deputies  from 
the  ele£lors  and  princes  of  the  empire.  After  the 
reading  of  the  letters  of  the  emperor,  they  were  fo 
far  from  ordering  the  execution  of  the  edifl  of 
Worms,  that  they  confirmed  that  of  Nuremberg. 
They  alfo  recommended  to  all  the  princes  that  the 
oofpel  fliould  be  preached  in  its  true  fenfe  in  all 
the  churches,  but  without  tumult  and  fcandal,  and 
they  exhorted  the  people  to  peace  and  to  refpeft 
their  magiftrates.  They  prayed  the  emperor  to 
hallcn  the  calling  cf  a  council,  and  his  journey  to 

Germany; 


Sec.  V.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        ZYi 

Germany  ;  and  as  the  aHembly  was  incomplete, 
they  prorogued  the  diet  to  the  ifl  of  May.  This 
recefs  was  dated  January  g^.h,  a.  d.  1526,  and 
the  rernaikable  moderation  of  the  proceedings  in. 
it  was  owing  to  the  meafure  that  had  been  taken 
by  the  landgrave  and  the  ele6lor  of  Saxony.  Even 
Ferdinand,  and  the  mod  devoted  partifaiis  of  the 
church  of  Rome  were  fenfible  that  the  peace  of 
the  empire  required  the  abrogation  of  the  edict  of 
Worms. 

In  the  mean  time,  as  the  catholic  princes  were 
forming  leagues  toopprefs  the  reformers,  thefe  h?d 
a  meeting  at  Torgau  the  4th  of  May,  when  they 
agreed  upon  a  league  for  their  mutual  defence,  and 
it  was  concluded  the  12th  of  June  follo'.ving.  Theie 
entered  into  this  alliance  the  dukes  of  Lunebur./, 
Henry  duke  of  Mecklenberg,  Wolfgang  prince  of 
Anhalt,  Gothard  and  Albert  counts  of  Mansfeluc. 
The  city  of  Magdeburg  alfo  entered  into  it.  They 
had  had  private  information  that  the  emperor  had 
fent  to  the  duke  of  Brunfwick  letters  of  inilru6lion 
to  all  the  princes  not  fafpefted  of  iavouring  the 
reformation,  acquainting  them  that  he  had  lieard 
with  great  concern  of  the  progrefs  of  the  herefy  ot 
Luther,  but  that  he  hoped  with  ihcir  afliilance  to 
ex.irpateit.  It  was  this  inToimatioa  that  haftened 
the  confederacy  of  the  friends  of  the  reformation. 

At 


272  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXII, 

At  the  diet  held  at  Spire,  which  was  opened 
the  25th  of  June,  the  prefident  faid  the  emperor 
had  called  them  together  to  deliberate  upon  the 
means  pf  maintaining  the  antient  religion,  and  pun- 
ifhing  thofe  who  oppofed  it,agreeably  to  the  edift  of 
Worms,  which  he  would  have  obferved.  But  this 
propofal  difpleafed  almoft  all  the  affembly  ;  and 
the  friends  of  reformation  demanded,  agreeably  to 
the  rtffolution  taken  at  Nuremberg,  that  perfons 
fhould  be  chofen  to  regulate  matters  that  related 
to  religion  ;  and  accordingly  fome  were  then  nam- 
ed. But  the  ambaffadois  of  the  emperor  oppofed 
it,  faying  that  they  had  no  power  to  relax  in  any 
article  of  religion,  that  the  emperor  had  cancelled 
the  refolutions  taken  at  Nuremberg,  and  would 
adhere  to  thofe  of  Worms ,-  that  he  was  going  to 
Rome  to  be  crowned,  and  would  thenconfult  with 
the  pope  about  the  calling  of  a  council ;  that  he 
complained  of  the  rife  of  new  errors  every  day  in 
Germany,  that  factions  were  formed  there,  and 
that  the  revolt  of  the  peafants  arofe  from  theherefy 
of  Luther, 

The  oppofition,  however,  from  the  cities  pre- 
vented any  compliance  with  the  emperor's  wifiies. 
They  infilled  upon  it  that  it  was  impoffible  to  car- 
ry into  execution  the  edi£l;  ot  Worms,  and  that  the 
infurreftion  of  the  peafants  fhewed  that  they  had 
to  fear  from    fuch  rigorous    meafures ;   that    in 

thofe 


Sec  V.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         %n 

thofe  places  in  whch  the  reformation  was  eftablifh* 
ed  there  was  no  fedition,  and  that  during  the 
prefent  difference  between  the  pope  and  the  em- 
peror, there  was  no  profpeft  of  the  convocation  of 
a  council.  They  alfo  made  feveral  demands  for 
a  farther  and  more  general  reformarion.  At  length 
it  was  agreed  that,  till  the  convocation  of  a  coun- 
cil, which  the  emperor  Ihould  be  defired  to  call 
within  one  year,  the  flates  of  the  empire  fhould 
engage  to  condu6l  themfelves  with  refpe6i  to  mat- 
ters of  religion  in  fuch  a  manner  as  they  fliould 
be  able  to  give  a  good  account  of  their  condu6i;  to 
God  and  bis  imperial  majefty. 

The  circumftance  that  happily  in  a  manner 
compelled  them  to  lay  afide  all  confideration  of 
their  differences  with  refpeQ:  to  religion,  was  the 
application  they  received  for  afTiftance  from  Hun- 
gary, which  was  almoft  over-run  by  the  Turks, 
This  diet  was  the  moft  numerous  that  had  ever 
been  known,  and  the  eleftor  of  Saxony  and  the 
landgrave  dfftinguifhed  themfelves  by  their  firm- 
nefs,  their  zeal  for  the  reformation,  and  the  drift 
order  in  which  they  kept  their  fervants  and  depen- 
dants ;  no  riot  or  debauch,  which  had  been  cuf- 
tomary,  being  allowed  among  them,  while  at  the 
fame  time  they  paid  no  regard  to  the  fafts  appoint- 
ed by  the  church.     They  could  not  obtain  leave 

Vol.  V.  S  to 


2r4.  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

to  have  their  minifters  preach  in  the  churches,  but 
they  preached  in  their  own  houfes,  which  were 
very  much  crowded. 

In  this  Rate  of  threatened  hoftility  the  modera- 
tion of  Luther  fully  appeared.  For  being  con- 
fulted  by  the  eleftor  of  Saxony,  he  avowed  his  opi- 
nion to  be,  that  he  ought  not  to  defend  himfelf 
hy  arms  in  cafe  of  an  attack  from  the  emperor,  but 
only  by  remonftrances  and  prayer  ;  and  that  at 
all  events  he  ought  not  to  be  the  aggreflbr;  nay, 
rather  than  that  he  ought  to  renounce  his  alliance 
with  the  landgrave  of  Heffe. 

As  foon  as  Francis  was  releafed  from  his  con- 
finement at  Madrid,  the  pope  entered  into  a 
league  with  him,  in  order  to  ft  rip  the  emperor  of 
the  flates  he  held  in  Italy  ;  aaid  for  this  purpofe 
he  abfolved  him  from  the  oath  which  he  had  taken 
to  fulfil  the  articles  of  the  treaty  which  he  had  made 
at  Madrid.  The  emperor, provoked  at  the  treachery 
of  the  pope,  fent  an  army  into  Italy  chiefly  com- 
pofcd  of  Germans,  all  friends  of  the  reformation, 
and  the  general  wanting  money  to  pay  them  pro- 
mi  fed  them  the  plunder  of  Rome.  In  confequence 
of  this,  the  city  was  taken  by  aGTault  the  6th  of 
May  A.  Dj  1527,  and  plundered.  The  pope 
himfelf  being  taken  prifoner  was  detained  fix  or 
feven  months,  and  made  to  purchafe  his  liberty 
at  a  great  price.     Hpwever,  one  of  the  conditions 

of 


Sec.    V.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        Z7i 

of  the  treaty  he  made  with  the  emperor  was  that 
he  fhould  take  meafures  for  the  extermination  of 
Lutheranifm.  In  this  the  emperor's  view  was  to 
make  himfelf  abfolute  in  Germany.  And  thus 
the  pope  evaded  the  calling  of  a  council  for  the 
reformation  ofabufes. 

In  this  year  Zuinglius  and  CEcolampadius 
wrote  againft  Luther  on  the  fubje6l  of  the  real  pre- 
fence  with  much  moderation ;  but  he  replied  with 
his  ufual  afperity.  Zuinglius,  however,  anfwer- 
ed  him  with  his  ufual  mildnefs  and  good  fenfe  ; 
faying  that  his  innocence  was  at  the  fame  time  a 
fufficient  anfwer  to  his  abufe,  and  enabled  him  to 
bear  it. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  the  duke  of  Saxony,  to 
the  furprize  of  every  body,  exprelTed  a  wifh  to 
have  a  Lutheran  preacher  fent  to  him ;  and  ac- 
cordingly the  bifhop  of  Mifnia  fent  him  Alexis 
Croflher,  a  canon  of  Altenburg,  who  had  been  e- 
ducated  under  Luther ;  and  he  gave  him  an  hon- 
orable reception,  telling  him  that  tho*  he  was  con- 
fidered  as  one  who  would  not  bear  the  evangelical 
do6lrine,  he  would  find  that  he  was  only  oflFended 
at  the  indecent  manner  in  which  it  was  preached. 
Accordingly  he  continued  with  him  three  year*, 
preaching  with  great  freedom  ;  and  whenever  he 
fpoke  too  freely,  he  was  only  reproved  by  the 
duke  in  private. 

S  2  Towards 


rare  the  history  of      per.  xxu. 

Toward  the  end  of  this  year  the  magiftrates  of 
Berne  fignifiedto  their  neighbours,  that  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  following  year  there  would  be  in 
that  city  a  free  difcuffion  of  the  articles  of  religi- 
on, comprized  in  ten  thefes,  againfl  the  principal 
articles  of  popery,  which  any  perfon  Ihould  be  at 
liberty  to  canvafs  on  the  authority  of  the  fcrip- 
tures  ;  and  they  requefted  the  biihops  of  Conftance, 
Bafil,  Sion,  and  Laufanne,  to  attend  with  their  di- 
vines. Thofe  bifhops  did  not  attend,  but  there 
were  deputeis  from  Zurich,  SchafFhaufen,  the 
Grifons,  and  fome  of  the  confederate  cities,  and 
feveral  from  the  imperial  cities  of  Strafburg,  Ulm, 
Augfburgh,  Lindau  and  Conftance.  There  were 
\veYQ  very  few  to  oppofe  the  thefes.  However  the 
difputation  continued  from  the  7th  to  the  26th  of 
January  A.  D.  1528,  and  in  the  iffue  the  magif- 
trates of  Bern  abolifhed  the  mafs,  and  removed  the 
images  from  the  churches.  Thofe  of  Conftance 
foon  after  did  the  fame.  * 

In  A.  D*.  1528,  a  council  was  held  in  France 
by  Anthony  du  Prat,  archbiftiop  of  Sens,  the  chan- 
cellor of  the  kingdom,  and  a  cardinal,  on  account 
of  the  fpread  of  the  reformation  in  that  country, 
many  perfons  then  preaching  in  the  vulgar  tongue. 
They  pafTed  fixteen  decrees  againft  the  reformation 
of  do£lrines,  and  forty  ot  reformation  in  articles  of 
difcipliae.  In  this  council,  the  archbiftiop  imita- 
ted 


Sec.  V-         THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      VtT 

ted  the  pope  in  the  late  council  of  Lateran,  decid- 
ing himfelf,  as  by  the  advice  of  the  bifhops  who 
attended. 

In  thir.  year  it  appeared  from  infoi-mation  com- 
municated to  the  landgrave  of  Heffe,  by  Otto  de 
Pach  a  coun fell  or  of  duke  George,  that  a  confed- 
eracy had  been  entered  into  by  the  catholic  princ^s^ 
of  the  empire  at  Breflaw  May  12th  of  the  preced- 
ing year.  At  the  head  of  this  was  Ferdinand, 
now  king  of  Bohemia,  to  compel  the  eleftor  of 
Saxony  to  banifh  Luther,  and  reftore  the  antient 
religion ;  and  in  cafe  of  his  refufal  a  plan  of  attack 
was  laid  by  which  he  was  to  be  aflailed  iii  all  di- 
reClions.  The  landgrave  was  to  be  attacked  in 
the  next  place,  but  he  was  to  be  treated  with  more 
mildnefson  account  of  his  youth,  and  his  relation- 
fhip  to  duke  George,  who  was  one  of  the  confeder- 
ates. They  likewife  agreed  upon  the  divifion  of 
the  fpoils.  George  was  to  have  the  eleftoral  pro- 
vinces, Ferdinand  what  he  pofleired  in  Suabi  i  and 
Silefia,  and  the  other  confederates  were  to  have 
their  fhare  either  in  territory  or  in  mone}>. 

Upon  this  intelligence,  of  the  truth  of  which 
they  entertained  no  doubt,  the  cle6lor  and  his 
friends  entered  into  a  new  league  the  gth  of  March 
A.  D.  1528,  by  which  they  engaged  to  raife  an 
army  of  twenty  thoufand  foot  and  fix  thoufand 
horfe,  and  to  cxpofe  their  lives,  their  honours,  arid 
S  3  their 


-78  THE  HIS  TORY  OF        Per.XXIL 

their  eftates,  in  the  defence  of  their  religion.  They 
alfo  endeavoured  to  form  alliances  for  their  fup* 
port,  and  among  them  with  the  king  of  Denmark, 
but  efpecialiy  with  the  imperial  cities.     In  confe- 
quence,  however,  of  the  remonftrances  of  Luther, 
the    eledor  was  unwilling  to    defend   himfelt   by 
force  of  arms.'     But   the   landgrave  expoftulating 
with  duke  George  on  the  fubjeft,  both  he  and  the 
reft  of  the  catholic  princes  declared  that  they   had 
never  entered  into  any  fuch  league  as  that  of  Bref- 
law,  and  that    the   whole  was  a  forgery  of  Pach's 
However,   being  interrogated  in  their  prefence,  he 
perfifted    in  his  evidence,  and  being  baniChed  by 
the  landgrave    he  retired   into  Flanders,  where  he 
was  in  a.  d.  1536  apprehended  by  the   agents  of 

duke  George  and  beheaded. 

The  emperor,  being  informed  of  thefe  proceed- 
ings, wrote  a  very  haughty  letter  to  the  eleflor  of 
Saxony,  feverely  cenfuring  him  for  railing  an  ar- 
my in  confequence  of  being  impofed  upon  by  a 
treaty  which  had  no  exiftfnce.  If,  faid  he,  any 
fuch  confederacy  had  been  entered  into,  it  was  his 
bufinefs  as  emperor  to  difperfe  it.  This  was  fuch 
language  as  the  princes  of  the  empire  had  not  been 
ufed  to,  as  it  was  their  indifputable  right  to  make 
peace  or  war  at  their  own  difcretion,  within  or 
without  the  empire,  without  confulting  the  emper- 
or. This  difcovery,  however,  if  it  was  one,  pro- 
bably prevented  the  breaking  out  of  a  war,    and 

both 


Sec.  V.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        Z79 

both  Luther  and  Melanfthon  exerted  themfelves 
in  promoting  peace.  They  were  even  determined 
to  leave  Wittemberg,  if  the  ele6lor  engaged  in  any 
war  on  the  account  of  rehgion.  Zuinglius  differ- 
ed from  Luther  on  this  fubjeft,  thinking  that  force 
ought  to  be  repelled  by  force  ;  and  feeing  the  de- 
fign  of  the  catholic  powers  to  exterminate  the  re- 
formation in  Switzerland,  he  faid  they  ought  to 
be  before  hand  with  them,  and  by  the  deftru6lion 
of  images,  the  difcontinuance  of  the  mafs,  ind  a- 
bolifhing  the  monafleries,  make  it  impoffible  for 
them  to  reftore  the  antient  worfhip. 

In  this  year  Melandhon  drew  a  formulary  of 
doflrine  and  difcipline  for  the  Lutheran  churches, 
revifed  by  Luther  himfelf.  In  it  they  preferred 
the  feftivals  inflituted  in  remembrance  of  Chrift, 
and  lome  in  honor  ot  the  virgin  Mary,  the  apof- 
tles,  and  a  few  of  the  other  faints  ;  but  they  added 
that,  if  any  perfon  was  obliged  to  work  on  thofc 
days,  either  for  their  own  fubfiftence,  or  in  the 
fervice  of  their  prince,  they  might  do  it  without  fcru- 
ple.  They  permitted  the  celebration  of  the  mafs 
in  latin,  tho'  they  recommended  the  German  lan- 
guage. This  work  difpleafed  many,  and  efpeci- 
ally  Agricola,  a  minifter  of  Iflcbe,  who  wrote  on 
the  occafion  ;  maintaiaing  that  chrillians  were  un- 
der no  obligation  to  the  moral  law.  For  particu- 
lar care  had  been  taken  in  this  work  to  guard  a- 
gainft  the  abufe  of  Luther's  doCliine  of  jullificati- 
S  4  •on 


280  THE  mSTORY  OF      Pkii.  XXll 

on  by  faifh  alone,  as  if  good  iwjrlcs  were  unnecet. 
fary.  The  fecular^  were  diiTatisficd  with  tho 
work,  becaufe  it  left  the  clergy,  as  they  thought; 
too  much  power;  Luther  andMelanfthon  having/ 
aimed  at  nothing  more  than  to  keep  that  powea;: 
witni;    what  they  thought  proper  bounds-. 

At  the  meeting  ot  the  diet  held  at  Spire  in  a.  d. 
1529,  tho'  the  prejudices  of  the  catholics  againft  the 
reformed  appeared  to  be  very  flrong,  they,  as  welL 
the  reft,  were  offended  at  the  haughtinefs  of  th© 
imperial  mandates  fent  from  Spain.  Gharlest 
wrote,  that  being  the  chief  in  chriflendom,  he 
would  not  fuffer  his  orders  to  bedefpifed,  that 
he  had  forbidden  all  innovation,  and  profaibed 
the  innovators  in  matters  of  religion  ;  but  •  that 
neverthelefs  their  numbers  increafed  every  day  on 
account  of  the  decrees  of  the  diet  of  Spire  in  a.  d* 
1526;  but  that  he  now  informed  the  diet  that,  by 
virtue  of  the  full  power  which  belonged  to  him,  he 
annulled  thofe  decrees,  as  contrary  to  his  intentions 
and  orders*  But  no  perfon  fpake  more  openly 
than  the  elector  of  Saxony,  who  faid  to  his  foHj, 
that  no  former  emperor  had  ufed  fuch  languagCj 
and  that  he  ought  to  be  informed  that  their  rights 
were  more  antient  than  the  elevation  of  his  family. 

Notwithflanding  all  that  the  prelates,  in  con- 
formity to  the  wilh  of  the  emperor,  could  urge  to 
enforce  the  edi6l  of  Worms,  or'atleaft  to  relcmd 

that 


SfiCl   V.       THE  CHRISTIAJSf  CHURCH.       2&t; 

thatof  Spire,  not  only  the  refortning  princes,  but 
the^bifliop  of  Paderbom  joined  in  oppofing  them;, 
fince  the  decrees  complained  of  had'beon  made  iaj 
dil  the  ufual  formy,  and  with  the  coiifcnt  ofithe  im^ 
perial  ambafladorsv 

The  Gatholics>  finding-  the-  Eutherans  toa 
powerful,  very  aithaliy  endeavoured  to  turn  the 
indignation  of  the  diet  againft  the  difciples  o(  Zu- 
ingliu€,  generally  caWed  Sacramentarians ;  againft 
whom  Lulhcr  had  inveighed  with  more  bitternefs 
than  even  againft  the  Catholics.  Of  this  Faber 
bifhop  of  Vienna  and  Ecloius  took  advantage, 
fpeaking  favourably  of  the  fentiments  of  Luther,, 
as  proper  to  be  tolerated  till  a  general  council; 
but  repr^enting  the  do6lrine  of  the  facramentari- 
ans  aSi  inr  the  univerfal  opinion,  undeferving  of 
any  favour.  And  as  the  citizens  of  Strafburg  were 
generally  of  that  opinion,  and  had,  notwithftand- 
ing  the  endeavours  of  the  bifhop  to  the  contrary, 
aboliflbed  the  mafs,  and  reformed  their  church,  an 
application  was  made  by  the  bifhop  to  this  diet. 
But  the  deputies  of  the  other  cities,  who  in  gene- 
ral inclined  to  the  do£lrine  of  Zuinglius.  joining 
thofeot'Strafburg,  remonftrated  with  the  Lutheran 
princes  with  refpe^  to  the  artifice  of  the  Catholics; 
and  the  infignificance  of  the  diflPerence  between 
themj  in  fueh  a  manner  that  they  agreed  to  make 
a.  common  caufe  efpecially  as  the  landgrave  faw 

S5  ia 


2«2  THE  HIS  TORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

in  a  very  flrong  light  the  importance  of  it,  and  was 
perhaps  at  this  time  himfelf  inclined  to  their  opi- 
nion, as  indeed  were  many  others.  This  appears 
from  a  letter  of  Melan6lhon  to  CEcolampadiusat  thi« 
time,  in  which  he  faid,  "  I  am  not  ignorant  how 
"  many  learned  and  great  men  are  of  your  opinion. 
"  Your  caufe  is  defended  by  men  of  ability.  You 
**  have  the  favour  of  the  fpeftators,  of  whom  fome 
"  approve  openly,  and  others  privately,  and  I 
«•  do  not  know  which  of  the  two  are  of  the  moft  fer- 
*'  vice  to  you." 

Notwithftanding  this  union,  the  majority  of 
voices  was  now  for  refcinding  the  decree  of  Spire, 
and  the  Lutheran  princes  and  cities  were  flrongly 
urged  by  Ferdinand  to  acquiefce  in  it.  But  they 
replied  that  this  was  not  a  bufinefs  of  policy  or 
temporal  intereft,  with  refpeQ;  to  which  they  were 
ready  to  fubmit  to  the  will  of  the  majority ;  but  it 
affefted  the  interefls  of  confcience,  with  refpeft 
to  which  every  man  ought  to  judge  for  himfelf. 
They,  therefore,  could  not  affent  to  a  decree  which 
afFe6led  its  rights.  They  alfo  alleged  that  it  was 
contrary  to  the  eftablifhed  ufage,  that  a  decree  a- 
dopted  unanimoufly  fhould  be  annulled  without 
the  confcnt  of  all,  and  on  the  19th  ot  April  they 
delivered  a  formal  proteft  on  the  fubjeft,  tho'  the 
other  members  ot  the  diet  would  not  receive  it. 

Luther 


Sec.  V.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        283 

Luther  being  confulted  by  the  clcftor  of  Sax- 
ony, who  was  wholly  governed  by  him,  could  not 
conceal  the  ill  will  he  bore  to  the  Sacramentarians. 
He  even  gave  it  as  his  decided  opinion  that  it  thsy 
were  put  under  the  ban  of  the  empire,  his  mafter 
ought  to  obey  the  decree,  and  execute  whatever 
fliould  be  ordered  againft  them.  Happily,  how- 
ever, the  opinion  of  divines  of  more  moderation 
prevailed  over  that  of  Luther,  and  the  princes  were 
governed  by  them.  Ferdinand,  finding  that  he 
could  not  prevail  upon  the  Lutherans  to  abandon 
the  Sacramentarians,  withdrew  the  promife  he  had 
made  them  ;  and  they,  in  their  turn,  prefented  on 
the  20th  of  April  a  new  proteft,  larger  than  the 
former;  and  this  was  the  writing  from  which  they 
obtained  the  name  of  Protejlants.  The  cities  join- 
ed the  princes,  and  made  a  feparate  proteft  againft 
the  proceedings  of  the  diet. 

Notwithftanding  the  unrelenting  rigour  of  the 
diet,  the  princes  were  more  favourable  to  them  in 
the  recefs,  owing  to  Ferdinand  wanting  the  aflif- 
tance  of  the  Proteftant  princes,  both  in  the  war 
with  which  he  was  threatened  by  the  Turks,  and 
in  his  endeavours  to  obtain  the  dignity  of  king  of 
of  the  Romans.  The  emperor  was  alfo  engaged 
in  a  war  with  Francis,  who  endeavoured  to  make 
a  league  with  the  Proteftant  princes.  Accordmg- 
ly,    in   the  decree  that  was  drawn  up,   tho'   the 

ftate: 


<a4t  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

dates  that  had  obferved  the  ediO;  of  Worms  were 
ordered  to  continue  to  do  fo,  the  others  were  per- 
mitted to  do  as  they  had  done,  but  were  forbidden 
to  make  any  more  changes  before  the  holding  of  a 
council.  The  Anabaptifls,  however,  were  con- 
demned to  fufler  death,  and  another  edift  of  the 
emperor  againft  them  was  publifhed  of  the  fame 
date  with  the  recefs. 

Tho'  Ferdinand  endeavoured   to  prevent  it, 
the    Proteftants   publifhed   their   proteft.      The 
commiflTaries  of  the  emperor  informed  him  of  their 
proceedings,    and  urged  him    to  call  a    council 
himfelf,   if  the  pope  would  not  do  it.     The  Pro- 
teftants,  having  been  calumniated  to  the  emperor, 
wrote  to  him  in  their  juftification,  concluding  with 
faying,  that  were  they  to  'carry  the  edi£l  of  Worms 
into  execution,  they  muft  become  the  executioners 
of  their  own  fubjeds,   who  would  yield  to  nothing 
but  violence;  but  that,  excepting  what  depended 
upon  God,  they  were  ready  to  obey  him  as  em- 
peror, to  contribute  to  the  glory  of  the  common- 
wealth,  and  to  aflift  Ferdinand  againft  the  Turks. 
The  emperor,    however,   received   the  meflengers 
who  were  fent  with  the  proteft  very  ill,   faying  he 
infifted  on  the  princes  fubmitting  to  the  decree  of 
the  diet  of  Spire,  and  that  if  they  refufed  to  do  it, 
he  would  make  an  example  of  them.      He  added, 
that  it  was  more  neceftary  than  ever  that  the  repub- 
lic 


\ 

Sec.  V.     THE  CIIRISIIANCHURCH.         285 

iic  fiiould  be  united,  in  older  to  repel  the  invafion 
of  the  Turks ;  and  that  he  would  foon  be  in  Ger- 
jnany  to  oppofe  them  with  all  his  force*. 

The    Proteftants,  not    expe£ling  a  favourable 
anfwer,  entered  into  an  alliance,  in   which  they 
engaged   to    defend   themfelves     againft  all    who 
fhould  attack  them  except  the  emperor.     But  Lu- 
ther was  utterly  averfe   to  making  any  league  with 
the  Sacramentarians,  tho'  the  reafons  he  gave   for 
this    were  weak  in  the   extreme.     Among  oth^ 
things  he  faid  that,  as  the  confederacy  was  entered 
into  for  the  defence  of  the  gofpel,  they  muft  firft 
fee  whether  the  Sacramantarians  were  of  the  fame 
faith  with  themfelves  ;  that  it  was  iinpiety  to  ent-er 
into  a  league  for  the  defence  of  religion,  with  thofe 
who  erred  in  a  capital  article,  alleging  the  exam- 
ple of  the  Ifraelites,  who  were  defeated  for  the  of- 
fence of  Achan ;  that  many  of   thofe  who  entered 
Into  this  confederacy,   depended    more    upon  the 
arm  of  fleih,  than  on   God.     "  Befides,"  he  faid, 
**  We  cannot  make  a  lawful  alliance  witji  thofe  who 
*'  are  not  fully  perfuaded  in  their  own  minds,  and 
"  that  the  Sacramentarians  are  not  To  is   evident 
"  from  their  willingnefs  to  fubmit   to  an  examina- 
**  nation  of  their  fentiments.     They   ought,  there- 
*'  fore,"  he  faid,  *'  to  write  to  the  emperor  in  julli- 
*'  fication  of  their  conduft,  by   informing  him  that 
«  they  had  abolilhed  all  abufcs,  that  they  had  fup- 

*'  prqffed 


£286  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 

"  prefTed  the  Anabaptifts,  the  Sacramantarians, 
"  aiid  all  the  hetorodox  in  general,  and  among 
*'  them  he  named  Erafmus."  He  added,  however, 
more  like  a  chriflian,  "  There  is  no  occafion  for 
"  fuch  treaties  ;  tor  that  God  who  had  proteQed 
"  them  hitherto  without  any  fuch  an  expedient, 
**  would  continue  to  proteft  them." 

As    the    difference    between    the    Lutherans 
and  the    Sacramentarians    was  the   principal  ob- 
llacle    to   the    confederacy  which    the   landgrave 
had  at  heart,  he    endeavoured    to    bring   them   to 
an  agreement  by  means   of  an    amicable    confer- 
ence,  and   at  length  he  procured  one  to   be   held 
at  Marnurg,where  Luther  and  the  divines  of  Wit- 
temberg,  met  Zuinglius   and  thofe  of  Strafburg. 
The  landgrave  received  and  entertained  them   all 
in  his  caflle.     But  notwithftanding  many  fenfible 
precautions  of  the   landgrave    to  difpofe   them  to 
moderation  and  unanimity,  he  could  not  fucceed. 
Luther,    begining    the  conference,    declared   that 
nothing  fhould  make  him  give  up  the  literal  fenfe 
of  the  words   this  is  my  Icdy.     Accordingly,  this 
conference,  which  lafted  three  days,  produced  no 
good  elFeft. 

As  thefe  divines  could  not  agree  in  opinion,  the 
landgrave  propofed  that  they  fhould  agree  to  tole- 
rate one  another  ;  and  to  this  the  Sacramentarians 
readily  conlented.     IfdiflPerence  of  opinion  be  not 

allowed 


Sec.  V.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       2»r 

allowed  in  things  not  elTential,  Bucer  faid  there 
never  can  be  peace  in  the  church,  and  there  will  be 
as  many  churches  as  there  are  perfons.  But  Lu- 
ther would  not  agree  to  any  toleration,  and  won- 
dered, he  faid,  that  the  Sacramantarians  had  To  lit- 
tle regard  to  confcience  as  to  admit  of  it.  To 
fliew  the  world,  however,  that  the  Proteftants  did 
not  differ  on  any  other  fubjefl  than  this  of  the  eu- 
charift,  they  figned  articles  ot  agreement ;  and  per- 
haps their  union  might  have  been  carried  fomc- 
thing  farther,  if  they  had  not  been  obliged  to  leave 
the  city  on  account  of  the  fweating  ficknefs  which 
then  broke  out  in  that  place. 

In  this  conference  Luther  could  not  help  ac- 
knowledging the  gentlenefs  and  moderation  of 
Zuinglius.  It  was  alfo  obferved  that  he  alway"! 
quoted  the  New  Teftament  in  Greek  ;  and  Lather 
deliring  him  to  do  it  in  Latin,  or  German,  he  faid 
that  for  the  laft  twelve  years,  he  had  f'^ver  read 
the  New  Teftament  but  in  the  original  Greek,  and 
therefore  was  not  able  to  quote  it  in  any  other  lan- 
guage. In  the  ilfue  of  the  conference  it  was  pret- 
ty evident  that,  in  the  opinion  of  the  landgrave 
and  his  court,  Zuinglius  had  the  advantage  ;  fince 
from  that  time  he  was  inclined  to  his  opinion,  as 
were  many  others  who  attended  the  debate. 

The  eleflor  not  being  gained,  the  princes   met 
at  Smalcald,  joined  by  the  deputies  from  the  cities, 

could 


:!SS-  ITKE  HISTOKYOl?        ^er.  XXII. 

could  not  effeft  the  propofed  union.  Before  the 
dehberations  took  place  there  iv^re  prefented  by 
the  elector  feventeen  articles  of  faith,  to  be  figned 
by  all  thofe  who  fhould  enter  iiito  the  confederacy, 
and  that  of  the  corporal  prefenoe  was  one  of  theM, 
But  it  was  thought  that  the  true  motive  of  the  elec- 
tor's hefitation  was  his  conscientious  objedion  to 
oppofing  the  emperor  by  force.  It  appeared 
that  Luther  had  writtento  him  and  his  colleagoaes 
ill  the  following  chriftian  like  manner.  "  It  46 
^'  our  part  to  fuffer  as  lambs  Jbreught  to  -the 
**  flaughter,  and  to  leave  vengeance  to  God.  As 
"  for  the  danger  with  which  you  are  threatened,  it 
"  is  eafy  to  God  to  divert  it.  They  are  l4ie  threat- 
*'  nings  of  the  devil,  which  are  only  fatal  to  t^oifie 
•^fro'n  whom  they  come.  If  we  be  chriftians,  <ve 
"  ihould  not  promife  our(eive«  better  treatment 
*'  than  that  of  Jefus  Chrift.  We  muft  bear  his 
"  crofs,  ITou  have  done  fo  already  on  other  occa- 
*'  ons,  and  you  have  experienced  divine  confoiati- 
*'  on  and  affiftance.  If  we  perfevere  in  faith  and 
**  prayer,  the  fame  affiftance  will  not  fail  us.  The 
"  Lord  will  find  means  to  defend  us,  more  cer- 
"  tain  and  more  effe6lual  than  our  own  wifdom 
*'  and  ftrength.  Be  full  of  hope  and  courage,  and 
**  keep  your  hands  pure  from  violence  and  blood. 
"  If  the  emperor  orders  me  and  my  colleagues  to 

appear 


Sec.   V.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       289 

*•'  appear  before  him,  we  will  obey  with  the  help 
"  of  God,  and  you  will  run  no  nfk  on  our  account, 
*•'  as  I  have  always  told  your  brother  Frederick  of 
"  glorious  memory.  It  is  not  your  bulinefs  to 
''defend  ourtaith,  or  that  of  any  other  perfon.  E- 
*•  very  perfon  muft  defend  his  own,  and  he  muft 
*'  believe  or  not  at  his  own  rifk." 

Another  meeting  was  appointed  to  be  held  at 
Nuremberg  for  the  6th  of  January,  but  this  ended 
as  the  other  had  done ;  and  they  only  agreed  to 
wait  for  the  arrival  of  the  emperor  before  they 
came  to  any  concluGon  what  fleps  to  take.  In  the 
mean  time  the  Strafburgers,  who  were  mod  expo- 
fed  to  danger,  entered  into  an  alliance  for  fifteen 
years  with  the  cantons  of  Zurich  and  Bafil  for 
their  mutual  defence,  in  cafe  they  fhould  be  at- 
tacked by  the  emperor,  at  which  the  imperial  re- 
gency was  much  oflFended. 

Charles  having  releafed  the  pope  from  his  con- 
finement, met  him  at  Bologna,  where  they  had 
much  confultation  about  compofing  the  differences 
with  refpeft  to  religion;  the  emperor  inclining  to 
the  calling  of  a  council,  and  the  pope  urging  the 
infignificance  of  it,  and  the  neceffity  of  having  re- 
courfeto  force.  He  reprefented  to  him  how  much 
more  eafy  it  would  be  to  quell  the  fedition  in  Ger- 
many than  to  conquer  Francis,  and  that  the  inter- 
efl  of  all  pofterity  depended  upon  his  fuccefs. 
'     VoL.V.  T  t'lf 


;jjO  THE  HlSrOUY  OF        Plr.   XXII. 

"  If,"  faid  he,  '•  the  authority  of  the  holy  fee  is 
*'  once  abolilhed,  the  world  will  fall  intoanarchj^ 
"  difcipline  will  be  ruined,  mankind  will  relapfe 
*'  into  favage  manners,  rafli  and  bold  fpirits  will 
"  every  day  invent  new  herefies,  and  that  nothin<^ 
"  was  more  dangerous  than  delay  when  a  fire  was 
"  lighted." 

The  emperor,  tho'  a  young  man,  with  great 
"  dignity  and  readinefs  replied,  that,  "  after  con- 
"  fulting  many  perfons  of  much  experieiice  and 
''piety,  he  found  theni  all  of  opinion  that  the 
•'  church  had  need  of  a  council,  in  which  liberty 
"  might  reign  and  truth  prefide,  and  that  he  fijould, 
"  thertfore,  never  delifl  from  his  endeavours  to  pro- 
*'cure  one."  He  faid  that  "  all  the  new  opinions 
•'  were  not  abfurd  ;  for  there  was  a  kind  of  wor- 
"  fhip  introduced  into  the  church  difhonorable  to 
"  God,  and  that  impiety  was  public  and  known 
"  to  all  the  world.  It  was  necelfary;"  he  alfo  faid, 
*'  to  form  a  body  of  dodriue  which  ruight  be  taught 
"  in  all  churches.  You  are  not  ignorant  that  there 
•' is  much  difference  of  opinion,  and  on  fubje£ls 
*'  of  importance  among  thofc  who  acknovyiedge 
**  your  authority." 

The  pope  having  f^id  that  there  were  da6lrincs 
in  religion  lliat  could  not  be  explained  ;  *'  This,'* 
fdid  the  emperur,  "  mull  be  falie,  ai.d  unworthy 
*'  of  t.he  fovereign  pontiff.      For  fucli  a  revelation 

"  wouM 


Ssc.  V. 

"  would  be  ufelefs  and  mifchievous,  ferving  only 
"  to  divide  the  chriftian  woild.  I  am,"  he  fuid, 
"  of  the  opinion  of  Theodofius,  who  faid,  we  mufl 
"  go  back  to  primitive  antiquity  to  arrive  at  the  ge- 
"  nuine  du6lrine  of  Jefus  Chrift."  He  was  there- 
fore for  a  council  which  (hould  decide  not  by  au- 
thority, but  after  hearing  reafon,  and  according  to 
to  the  fcriptures  ;  that  to  decide  difputes  about  re- 
ligion by  arms  without  examination  would  be  to 
aft  blindly,  and  in  that  way  he  might  deftroy  what 
was  good  as  well  as  what  was  bad,  which  he  never 
would  do.  He  concluded  with  exprefiing  his  at- 
tachment to  the  holy  fee,  which  he  faid  he  had 
alwaysfhevvn,  and  would  preferve  on  all  occafions. 
The  pope  made  no  reply  at  that  time,  laying 
th2t  he  would  confult  about  the  bufinefs  with  his 
cardinals  ;  but  in  more  familiar  converfation  after- 
wards, he  ufed  all  his  addrefs  to  dilfaade  the  em- 
peror from  his  fcheme  of  a  council ;  obferving  a- 
mong  other  things,  that  the  demand  for  it  by  the 
heretics  was  only  an  artifice  to  gain  time,  that  if 
that  affembly  did  not  decide  in  their  favour,  they 
would  find  pretences  for  not  obeying  its  decrees, 
and  that  in  general  nothing  was  more  dangerous 
than  to  yield  to  the  importunity  of  fubjeds,  as 
they  would  always  pafs  from  one  demand  to  ano- 
ther, til!  the  prince  mufl;  either  grant  every  thing, 
or  rid:  a  revolt ;    that  fuch  was  the  love  of  novelty, 

T  2  of 


293  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII, 

of  independence,  and  the  eagernefs  to  feize  the 
ellates  of  the  church,  that  othei  ftates  ot  the  empire 
would  be  dravvn  into  the  fame  party,  and  the  he- 
retics would  become  fo  ftrong  that  he  would  be 
obliged  to  receive  the  law  from  them ;  and  he  might 
perhaps  think  himfelf  happy  if,  after  Gripping  him 
of  all  his  authority  as  emperor,  they  did  not  fend 
him  back  into  Spain.  As  to  his  own  authority, 
as  pope,  he  faid  he  had  the  promife  of  Chrift,  that 
it  was  founded  on  a  rock,  and  would  never  fail ; 
fo  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear. 

Tho'  by  thefe  arguments  the  emperor  was  per- 
fuaded  to  defift  from  the  demand  of  a  general  coun- 
cil, he  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  declare  war 
again  ft  the  Lutherans  before  he  had  given  them  a 
hearing.  He  therefore  wrote  to  the  ftates  of  the 
empire  to  meet  him  at  Augfburg,  April  28»  a.  d, 
1526.  He  faid  he  convoked  the  diet  in  order  to 
treat  of  matters  of  religion,  that  the  parties  fhouid 
be  heard,  and  their  reafons  examined;  that  the 
truth  being  known,  and  concord  eftablifhed,  there 
might  be  no  more  than  one  faith,  fimple  and  pure; 
and  as  they  were  all  difcipks  of  one  mafter  Jefus 
Chrift,  their  common  head,  they  might  compofe 
but  one  church.  No  mention  was  made  of  Luther, 
After  this  the  emperor  was  crowned.  He  then 
wrote  again  to  put  off  the  diet  to  the  ift  of  May, 
and  this  letter  was  written  with  the  fame  modera- 
tion. 


Sec.  V.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*        293 

tion.  The  proteftants,  however,  were  not  without 
fufpicion  of  his  defigns  from  the  long  Hay  he  made 
at  Bologna,  the  fecret  interviews  he  had  with  the 
pope,  and  the  oath  which  he  took  at  his  coronati- 
on, which  was,  that  he  would  be  the  perpetual 
defender  of  the  dignity  of  the  church  of  Rome. 
Sleidan,  p.  226.  Befides,  they  knew  that  there 
was  in  the  treaty  made  at  Barcelona,  the  preceding 
}'ear  a  fecret  article,  by  which  he  had  engaged  to 
deflroy  Lutheranifm. 

The  Lutherans  were  fo  much  alarmed  at  thefe 
appearances,  that  they  would  have  formed  an  ar- 
my, and  met  the  emperor,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
perfuafion  of  Luther  ;  who  flrongly  urged  the  un- 
lawfulnefs  of  fighting  for  their  religion,  and  who 
exhorted  the  eledor  to  carry  the  ciofs  of  Chrifl:, 
fince  he  had  embraced  his  do6lrine,  and  fhew  the 
fincerity  of  his  faith,  by  his  patience  and  con- 
ftancy. 

It  was,  however,  a  ferious  queftion,  whether 
the  proteftant  princes,  efpecially  the  ele6lor,  fhould 
attend  the  diet.  The  emperor,  they  knew,  had 
been  advifed  to  adopt  violent  meafures,  and  it 
might  have  been  imagined  that  by  fcizing  the  heads 
of  the  party  an  end  might  be  put  to  the  dillurbance. 
But  it  was  thought  that  it  became  them,  at  whate- 
ver rifk,  to  appear  openly,  without  fear  or  fhamc, 
as  the  friends  of  the  caufe  they  had  efpoufcd,  left 

T  5  the 


39^  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

the  lefs  powerful  fhould  be  difcouraged.  Befides. 
they  were  not  without  hope  that,  as  the  emperor 
was  a  man  of  good  underftanding,  a  young  man, 
and  had  given  fome  attention  to  the  fubje6l.  fome- 
thing  might  be  gained,  at  leafl  by  the  confidence 
they  repofed  in  him,  and  the  refpeft  they  fhewec. 
him.  But  tho*  Luther  rather  wiflied  to  attend  the 
diet,  it  was  thought  proper  that  he  fhould  not  go, 
and  in  the  capacity  of  divines  the  eie6tor  took  Jonas 
Spalatin  and  Melan6lhon.  They  agreed,  however, 
that  their  divines  (hould  preach  openly  till  they 
were  expreisly  forbidden.  But  tho'  there  were 
fo  many  reafohs  for  the  union  of  the  Zuinglians 
with  the  Lutherans,  and  the  landgrave  leaned  to 
their  opinion,  he  could  not  by  any  means  bring 
Luther  to  make  a  common  caufe  with  them.  He 
could  not  he  faid  unite  with  them  who  were  in  an 
error,  and  his  friends  dreaded  to  brmg  upon  them- 
feivcs  the  odium  under  which  the  others  lay. 


SECTION 


Sec.  VI-         THE  CHRISTIAN  CHUHCH.       2D5 


SECTIOX  VI. 

From  the  Meeting  of  Ihe  Did  ct   Augpurg,    a.    d. 
152G,  to  the  death  of  Clement  VII,  a.  d.  1534. 


A: 


FTER  this  preparation,  and  the  long 
flay  of  the  emperor  in  Italy,  he  arrived  at  AugC- 
burg,  and  it  was  contrived  by  the  cnthoUcs  that  it 
fhould  be  on  the  1 5th  of  June,  the  day  before  the 
proceaion  of  the  facrament,  when  he  both  infifted 
upon  the  attendance  of  theProtellant  princes  in  the 
ceremony,  and  that  the  preacliing  of  their  minif- 
ters  fhould  be  difcontinued.  However,  tho'  flrong- 
]y  urged,  they  rpTolutely  refufed  to  obey;  the 
margrave  of  Brandenburg  declaring  that  they  v.'ould 
rather  obey  God  than  man,  and  were  prepared 
even  to  die  for  their  rehgion,  if  required.  Accor- 
dingly, the  proceffion  was  made  without  them, 
and  it  was  obfervcd  that,  tho' the  cify  of  Augs- 
burg was  very  populous,  not  more  than  an  hun- 
dred of  the  inhabitants  attended.  With  rcfpe6l 
to  the  preachers,  it  was  at  length  agreed  that  the 
emperor  fhould  filence  (hem  a!l,  and  appoint  o- 
thers,  men  of  moderate  characters,  who  fhould 
preach  the  gofpel  without  controverfy.  The  eleft- 
T  4  or 


296  THE  HISTORY  OF        Peh.  XXII. 

or  of  Saxony  attended  the  emperor  at  mafs,  but 
not  without  previoufly  declaring  that  he  did  it 
only  as  obliged  by  his  office  ;  and  when  the  hoft 
was  elevated.,  neither  he,  nor  any  of  the  Proteft- 
ants,  made  the  proftration. 

When  the  diet  was  opened,  it  appeared  by  the 
fpeech  of  the  emperor,  in  which  he  reproved  the 
princes  for  not  obferving  the  edi6l  of  Worms, 
that  the  councils  of  the  legate  and  of  the  catholics 
had  made  a  change  in  his  difpofition  with  refpefil: 
to  the  Proteftants.  After  much  debating  they  ob- 
tained leave  to  prefent  their  apology  ;  but  the  ca- 
tholic party  infifled  that  they  fhould  only  deliver  it 
in  writing,  left  the  reading  of  it  fhould  make  an  im- 
prefTion  upon  thofe  who  never  read  any  thino^. 
Eut  the  Proteftants  declaring  that  they  would 
withdraw  it  altogether  if  it  might  not  be  read,  this 
was  at  length  granted,  but  it  was  contrived  that  it 
fhould  be  read  in  a  fmall  room,  wliere  not  more 
tbari  two  huri(i)i:d  pertbns  could  attend  ;  and  for 
fome  time  it  was  alfo  infifted  upon  that  it  fhould 
be  read  only  in  latin.  But  the  eledior,  knowmg 
that  manv  of  the  auditors  did  not  underftand Latin, 
at  length  obtained  leave  that  it  fhould  be  read  in 
German,  and  a  perfon  was  provided  who  read  it 
in  fo  loud  a  voice,  that  he  was  heard  in  the  neigh- 
bouring rooms  ;  and  he  r^ad  fo  deliberately,  that 

he  was  two  hours  in  difpatching  it. 

This 


Sec.  VI.     THE  CHRI51IAN  CHURCH.        29^ 

This   famous    confeflion  of  faith,   which  was 
drawn  up  by    M  lan6lhon,  thus  diftin6^!v   read, 
made  a  great  impreffion  on  many  perfons  who  were 
prefcnt,  as  they  did  not  find  in  it  thofe  monflrous 
opinions    with   which    the    ProteRants  had    been 
charged.     The  biftiop  of  Augfburg  could  not  for- 
bear crying  out,  *'  This  is  nothino;  but    the  n^ked 
*•  truth.     We  cannot  deny  it/'  WiIHam  of  Ba^^a- 
ria  was  upon  this  more  civil  to  the  eleftor  of  Sax- 
ony than  before,  and  walking   home  with   him,  he 
faid  he  found  the  doftrine  of  the  Proteflants,  very- 
different  from  the  account  that  he  had  received  of 
it.     Pontanus  on    delivering  the   confeffion   into 
hands  of  the  emperor,  faid  in  a  loud   voice,  "  This 
*'  ConfefTion,  with  the  grace  of  God,  who  will  de- 
"  fend  his  own  caufe,  will  triumph  over  the  gates 
*'  of  hell."  The  emperor  took  the  Latin  copy,  and 
faid  that  he  fhould  confider  it. 

This  celebrated  compofition  was  drawn  up 
with  much  care  and  art,  exprefling  in  the  firfl 
place  all  the  capital  articles  in  which  the  Protefl- 
ants  agreed  with  the  Romanifts,  and  alfo  contain- 
ed their  reafons  forcorrefting  the  abufes  which  had 
been  introduced  into  the  church.  The  article  re- 
lating to  the  eucharifl  was  fo  exprefied  as  not  to 
contradifil  the  doftrmeof  tranfubflantiation.  This 
was  done  on  account  of  the  emperor  being  report- 
ed to  have  faid,  that  he  was  not^  furprized  at  the 
T  5  Proteflants 


2y8  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

Protellants  condemning  certain  praftices  of  the 
Romifh  church,  but  that  as  for  the  mafs,  that  was 
his  heart.  Melanclhon,  therefore,  paffed  over 
what  would  have  given  the  moft  offence  in  their 
do6lrine  on  that  fubjefl;,  as  the  facrifice  of  the  mafs 
and  the  adoration  of  the  hoft.  Luther  did  not 
approve  of  this  artful  conducl,  tho'  he  did  not  o- 
penly  objed  to  the  confeCion.  The  landgrave  rcr 
ceived  it,  but  with  an  explanation  of  what  was  faid 
in  it  on  that  fubje&.  The  emperor  forbad  the 
printing  of  the  Confeflion,  but  a  great  number  of 
written  copies  were  diftributed,  and  lent  into  all 
parts  of  Europe,  great  curiofity  having  been  exci- 
ted with  refpeQ;  to  it. 

The  friends  of  the  pope  at  this  diet,  a6ling  by 
his  inflruQions,  would  have  pufhed  the  emperor 
to  the  moft  violent  meafures,  or  at  leaft  have  made 
him  infifi;  on  the  Proteflants  reverting  to  the  anti- 
ent  worihip  till  the  calling  of  a  council,  which  it 
w^as  well  known  they  would  not  do  ;  but  the  em- 
peror perfiRed  in  his  moderate  maxin^s,  and  his 
whole  conduft  at  this  time  was  much  praifed  hy 
Melanflhon.  After  much  confultation,  the  Ro- 
manills  prevailed  to  have  the  Proteftant  co.nfefTioii 
delivered  to  their  divines,  in  order  to  its  confuta- 
tion, and  Faber  and  his  friends  laboured  at  it  fix 
weeks. 

In 


Sec.  VI.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         29*) 

In  the  mean  time,  no    promifes   or   menaces 
having  been' fpared  in  order  to  fain  the  Protcftank 
princes,  fo  difcouraged    was   Mclan6lhon   at  the 
difficulties  they  met  with,  that  Liither  wrote  him 
feveral  excellent  letters   of  confolation.     "    You 
*'  make  no  account,"  he  faid,  "  of  your  own   life, 
•'  but  fear  for  the  public  caufe  ;   whereas,    I  make 
*'  myfaif  perfe6lly  eafy  about  the  caufe,   becaufe  I 
"  am  perluaded  it  is  a  good  one,  that  of  God  and 
"  of  Chrifl."     Reproving   hirh  for  his  policy,  lie 
faid,  "  You  ceafe  not  to  torment  yourfelf,  without 
"  confidering  that  this  bufmefs  is  above  your  light, 
*•  and  your  ftrength,  and  that  it  will  be  canied  on 
"  without  our  care  ;  and  as  it  were  by  itfeif.    Jefus 
*'  Chrift  will  not  have  the  fuccefs  of  it  to  depend 
*'  on  the  councils  or  power  of  man.     If  we  are  not 
**  worthy  to  carry  on  the  bufmefs,  God  will    raife 
"  up  others  more  worthy  tlian  wc." 

After  many  delays  and  corrections,  on  account 
of  the  violence  with  which  it' was  firft  written,  and 
which  difpleafed  the  emperor,  the  refutation  of 
the  proteftant  contcfTion  was  produced  and  read  in 
full  diet  on  the  3d  of  Auguft.  liut  tho'  the  Pro- 
teflanis,  who  thought  it  extremely  weak,  were  re- 
fufed  a  copy  of  it,  they  were  on  the  5th  of  that 
month  required  to  renounce  their  do6lrine,  which 
they  were  told  they  had  heard  refuted.  However, 
reijjpnflrating  ftrongly  againft  this  demand,  with- 
out 


300  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

out  having  had  an  opportunity  of  reading  and 
conGdering  the  anfwer  of  their  opponents,  a  copy 
was  delivered  to  them,  but  with  an  injunQion  not 
to  tranfcribe  or  pubhfh  it, 

The  landgrave,  not  liking  the  afpe6l  of  things, 
left  Augfburg  privately,  on  the  pretence  of  his 
wife's  illnefs ;  and  this  alarming  the  emperor,  he 
took  much  pains  to  pacify  the  Proteftants,  and 
mediators  were  appointed  to  find  fome  means  of 
conciliation.  But  being  chofen  by  the  catholics, 
they  only  demanded  of  the  Proteftants  a  renuncia- 
tion of  their  errors,  and  conformity  to  the  catholic 
church  ;  and  fome  of  them  threatened  the  eletlor 
of  Saxony  with  being  put  under  the  ban  of  the 
empire  if  he  did  not.  The  Proteftants  were  fo 
far  gained,  or  intimidated,  that  at  length  they  pro- 
mifed  that,  provided  they  were  allowed  the  com- 
munion in  both  kinds,  the  marriage  of  their  prieflsj' 
and  the  celebration  of  the  mafs  as  they  had  reform- 
ed it,  they  would  yield  obedience  in  other  ref- 
pe6ls.  And  Melan6lhon,  writing  to  Campcgio 
the  legate  on  this  occaiion,  after  thofe  propofals 
were  rejefted,  faid,  "  If  our  priells  had  obtained 
*' thefe  articles,  they  would  have  fubmitted  to  the 
*'  bllhops,  the  church  would  have  been  reunited  in 
"  one  body,  and  the  (cc  of  Rome  would  have  pre- 
*'  fervcd  its  authority." 

But 


Sec.    VI.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      50t 

But  this  compliance  did  not  pleafc  Luther. 
Pie  faid  that  if  he  were  in  their  place,  he  would 
yield  nothing;  and  they  had  better  co!r!e  to  extre- 
mity than  confent  to  refume  the  imallefl  of  the  fu- 
perftitions  ;  but  lince  they  would  amufe  their-  with 
the  illufory  promife  of  a  council,  he  advifed  them 
to  oppofe  artifice  to  artifice,  and  endeavour  to  ob- 
tain a  toleration  by  appealing  to  that  chimera  of  a 
council  which  would  never  be  held  ;  that  (he  em- 
peror would  think  twice  before  he  would  engage 
in  a  doubtful  war,  and  that  it  was  impofTiblc  to 
come  to  an  agreement  without  a  facrifice  of  the 
truth.  "  In  fhort,"  he  faid,  "  all  your  projedis  of 
*'  agreement  difpleafe  me  infinitely,  becaufe  it  is 
"  altogether  impoflible,  unlefs  the  pope  confent  to 
**  abolifh  his  authority. 

The  magiftrates  of  the  cities  alfo  rcmonflrated 
againft  thofe  conceflions.  Even  the  proteftant 
princes  did  not  approve  of  the  advice  of  the  di- 
vines, and  Pontanus  wrote  on  the  margin  of  that 
paper  that  he  could  not  acknowledge  the  autho- 
rity of  the  pope  jecaufe  he  pretended  it  to  be  of 
'divine  right,  when  he  was  really  the  antichrill  fore- 
told by  the  apoflle  Paul. 

The  anfwer  they  at  length  returned  was,  that 
they  would  obey  the  bifhops  as  far  as  the  word  of 
God  would  permit.  They  perfifled  in  their  de- 
mand of  a  council,  and  faid  that,  in  the  mean  time, 

it 


302  THE  HISTORY  OF     Per.  XXII; 

it  would  anfwer  a  good  end  if  the  emperor  would 
name  deputies  of  both  parties  to  confer  together. 
On  which  he  named  feven  on  each  fide,  two  prin- 
ces, two  lawyers,  and  three  divines.  But  thefc 
commiffaries  not  being  able  to  agree,  the  emperor 
himfcif  endeavoured  to  bring  it  about,  and  he  pro- 
pofed  that  a  council  (hould  be  called,  and  till  that 
every  thing  fhould  be  reflored  to  its  former  Hate. 
The  Proteflants  replied  that  they  were  not  the  in- 
novators, but  had  refumed  the  antient  laith,  that 
they  wiflied  for  a  free  council,  but  that  they  could 
not  rellore  the  abufes  which  they  had  condemned 
in  their  confeffion,  and  their  people  were  too  much 
enlightened  to  receive  them. 

At  this  time  the  Proteftants  and  catholics  c- 
qually  wifhed  for  a  council.  The  abufes  in  eccle- 
fiaftical  matters  were  fo  flagrant,  that  they  could 
not  be  concealed ;  but  the  pope  had  good  reafon?  to 
dread  the  affembling  of  one  on  his  own  account. 
He  was  a  baftard,  which  was  by  many  thought  to 
be  a  fufficierit  difqualification,  and  his  eleflion  was 
faid  to  have  been  flmoniacal,  on  account  of  a  pro- 
mife  that  he  had  made  to  the  cardinal  Colonna.  He 
had  alfo  been  the  means  of  enflaving  his  country 
of  Tufcany,  and  was  properly  the  author  of  the 
bloody  wars  by  which  Italy  had  fufFered.  And 
llie  cardinals  were  as  much  afraid  of  a  council  as 
himfclf.     He  therefore  alleged,  that  the  time  was 

not 


Sec.  VI.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      3o5 

not  convenient,  as  the  peace  was  not  yet  eR.ibli(lied, 

thai   frefh   commotions    were   expc6led   irom   the 

Turks;  but  he  faid  that  he  would  yield  to  the  rc- 

quifition  of  the  emperor,  provided  (he  council  was 

held  in  Italy,  and  the  Lutherans  and  other  heretics 

would  engage  to  fubmit  to  it.     This,  however,  he 

well  knew  was  not  likely  to  be  acceded  to  by  them, 

fince  in  fuch  a  council   they  were  fure  to  be  con- 
demned. 

The  emperor,  after  confidering  the  anfwer  of 
the  Proteftants,  replied  in  a  manner  that  mufl 
have  been  far  from  pleafing  tliem.  He  condemn- 
ed their  obllinacy  in  prefering  their  private  len- 
timents  to  the  do6lrine  of  the  univerlal  church, 
but  that  he  had  the  peace  of  the  church  fo  much 
at  heart,  that  he  required  them  to  renew  their  con- 
fererices,  at  which  he  faid  he  would  afiill  in  perfon ; 
but  it  they  were  inflexible,  he  muft,  as  protestor  of 
the  church,  treat  them  as  fchifmatics  ;  and  he  re- 
quired their  anfwer  the  next  day. 

The  Proteftants,  however,  without  being  ter- 
rified, replied  that  their  confeffion  of  faith  would 
fhew  that  they  preferved  the  catholic  faith,  that  in 
an  affair  of  conlcience,  a  plurality  of  voices  would 
avail  nothing,  and  that  the  refumpliori  of  the  con- 
ferences would  anfwer  no  good  purpofe,  as  they 
had  nothing  farther  to  concede;  but  they  laid 
they  would  endeavour  to  prefcrve  the  peace  of  the 

(late 


204  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

flate.  This  refolute  anfwer  offended  the  emperor; 
but  being  unu'illing  to  give  up  all  hopes  of  an 
union,  various  other  attempts  were  made  in  which 
Melanfthon  was  perfuaded  to  concede  more  than 
his  brethren  were  willing  to  do.  In  this,  how- 
ever, Erafmus,  who  was  then  at  Augfburg,  con- 
curred with  him.  But  the  more  zealous  of 
the  Proteftants,  efpecially  the  citizens  of  Nu- 
remberg, were  difpleafed  with  thefe  timid  coun- 
cils; and  Luther,  writing  to  his  friends,  declared 
his  fixed  refolution  to  yield  nothing  farther  than 
the  confefsion.  *'  I  conjure  you,"  faid  he,  •'  to 
*' brerJc  off  ail  farther  negociati on.  They  infult 
"us  becaufe  they  ar^  the  flr'>n^er  party  ;  but  let 
"  them  do  as  they  pipafe.  Whether  war  comes 
*'or  not,  we  have  offered  peace,  and  that  is  e- 
*'  nough.*' 

The  emperor  feeing  that  nothing  was  likely  to 
be  effe£led,  ordered  the  decree  of  the  diet  to  be 
drawn  up;  but  before  this  was  done  the  Protefl- 
ants  prefented  fourteen  articles  as  their  uUi7natiim  ; 
and  the  imperial  cities  of  Strafburg,  Conftance, 
Memingen,  and  Lindaw,  prefented  their  confeflion, 
differing  from  that  of  the  Lutherans  only  in  the 
article  relating  to  the  corporeal  prefence  j  and  tho' 
all  reafonable  endeavours  were  ufed  to  engage  the 
Lutherans  not  to  break  their  union  on  account  of 


this 


Sec.  VI.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        305 

this  article,  even  Melan6lhon,  tho'  h«  had  been 
fo  compliant  to  the  cathoHcs,  would  not  yield  to 
them. 

At  length  the  decree  of  this  famous  diet  was 
produced,  to  the  following  purpofe,  that  "  the 
"  confeflion  of  faith  of  the  Proteftants,  having  been 
*'  read,  had  been  refuted  by  proofs  drawn  from  the 
*'  fcriptures  ;  but  that  not  being  admitted  by  them, 
"  they  were  allowed  till  the  15th  of  April  in  the 
"year  following  to  confider  whether  they  would 
*'  make  profeffion  of  the  do6trine  of  the  pope  and 
*'  the  Catholic  ftates,  at  lead  till  the  meeting  of  a 
"  council  ;  that  within  that  time  they  mull  figni- 
*'  fy  their  refolution  to  the  emperor.  In  the  mean 
"  time,  they  were  forbidden  to  print  any  thing  re- 
"  lating  to  their  religion,  make  any  farther  inno- 
"  vations  ;  draw  any  perfon  to  their  faith,  or  dif- 
**  turb  the  monks  in  their  poffefsions.  They  were 
*'  alfo  ordered  to  reprefsthe  Anabaptifls,  and  the 
"  Sacramentarians.  On  the  other  hand,  the  em- 
*'  peror  promifed  to  engage  the  pope  to  call  a 
*'  council  within  fix  months,  to  be  opened  within 
**  a  year  after  the  convocation."  / 

To  this  decree  the  Proteftants  made  many  ob- 
jeSlions  ;  and  after  feveral  attempts  to  gain  them, 
they  gave  it  as  their  final  anfwer,  that  on  any  o- 
ther  fubjeO:  than  that  of  religion,  they  were  ready 
to  convince  the  emperor  that  no  princes  had  more 
Vol.  V.  U  relpeO; 


i06  THE  HIS  TORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

refpe6l  to  his  orders  and  authority ;  that  events 
»vere  in  the  hands  of  God,  in  whom  they  placed 
their  hopes  of  fafety  ;  and  that  they  awaited 
his  orders  with  that  tranquihty  which  is  infepara- 
ble  from  a  good  confcience.  When  the  eleftor 
of  Saxony,  after  this,  took  his  leave  of  the  emper- 
or, he  faid  aloud,  that  he  was  convinced  that  the 
doftrine contained  in  their confeflion  was  fupported 
by  fuch  ftrong  proofs  from  the  fcriptures,  that  all 
the  efforts  of  the  devil  could  not  overturn  it.  The 
emperor  giving  him  his  hand  only  replied,  "  My 
*'  coufin,  I  fliould  not  have  expefted  this  of 
"  you." 

After  the  departure  of  the  ele6lor,  fome  farther 
propofals  for  an  accommodation  were  made ;  but 
no  attention  was  paid  to  them.  The  Proteflants 
alfo  refufed  to  contribute  any  thing  to  the  war 
with  the  Turks  whilfl  their  own  eflates  were  threat- 
ened, and  confequently  whilft  their  troops  and 
finances  were  wanted  for  their  own  defence,  unlefs 
they  were  allured  of  the  peaceable  pofTellionof  the 
reformation  till  the  holding  of  a  council  and 
many  of  the  Catholics  thought  this  refolution  to 
be  very  reafonable.  In  conleqiienceof  this,  fbme 
claufes  were  inferted  in  the  decree  in  their  favour, 
but  not  fufBcicntly  definite  to  give  fatisfadlion  ; 
and  the  miniHers  of  the  elector  of  Saxony  had  or- 
ders to  require  pofitivcly  of  the  emperor,  whether 
they  were  to  have  peace  or  war.  As 


Sec.  VI.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        SOJT 

As  to  the  Sacramental ians,  they  were  treated 
with  much  more  haughtinefs,  after  a  pretended 
refutation  of  their  arguments  by  Faber  and  Ec- 
kius,  of  which  they  w^ere  not  allowed  to  iiave  a 
copy.  Since,  faid  the  emperor,  they  approved  of 
the  frightful  doftrine  which  denies  the  corporal 
prefence  of  Chrifl  in  the  facrament,  fmce  they  had 
removed  the  images  from  their  churches,  abolifhed 
the  mafs,  and  driven  the  monks  from  their  monaf- 
teries,   they  fhould  be'treated  as  they  deferved. 

At  length  the  recefs  of  the  diet  was  publifhed 
the  19th  of  November  a.  d.  1530.  Itabfolulely 
profcribed  the  Sacramentarians,  ordered  the  re{lo-« 
ration  of  the  antient  ceremonies,  the  degradation 
of  the  married  priefts,  the  invocation  of  the  faints, 
the  reftoration  of  the  monafteries,  and  direded 
that  the,  decree  fhould  be  executed  by  force  of  arms. 
In  conclufion.  the  emperor  promifed  the  convo- 
cation of  a  council  in  fix  months.  But  the  impe- 
rial cities  refufed  to  fubfcribe  the  decree,  and  the 
magiflrates  of  Augfburg,  where  the  diet  was  af- 
fembled,  would  not  alfiA  their  feal  to  it,  as  had  al- 
ways been  the  cuftom  in  the  cities  in  which  the 
diet  met.  After  the  publication  of  this  decree,  the 
emperor  left  the  place  the  24th  of  November. 

Theconduft  of  the  Protellants  appeared  to  Co 

much    advantage  during   the  fitting  of  this  diet, 

refilling  alike  the  threats  and  the  carefTes  of  their 

U  2  *      enemies. 


SOS  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per:  XXII. 

enemies, '  that  their  caufe  gained  much  in  confe- 
quence  of  it,  efpecially  after  the  publication  of 
their  confeflion  of  faith.  Prefently  after  this  there 
declared  tor  them  Herman  archbifhop  of  Cologn, 
Frederic  count  Palatine,  the  firfl  minifler  of  the 
empire,  an^  afterwards  ele6lor,Eric  duke  of  Brunf- 
wick,  the  dukes  of  Mecklenburg  and  Pomerania, 
Joachim  prince  eleftor  of  Brandenburg,  who  foon 
Succeeded  his  father  George,  Erneft  fon  of  prince 
William  of  Henneberg,  and  a  great  number  of 
counts,  barons,  gentlemen,  and  free  cities.  * 

Iri 

*  About  the  time  of  this  diet  at  Augfburg  the  follo\V-- 
ing  fymbolicalreprefentation,  Le  Clerc  fays,  was  exhi- 
bited before  the  emperor  and  his  brother  Ferdinand. 

As  the  princes  were  at  table  a  number  of  perfons  of- 
fered to  a6l  a  fmall  comedy  for  the  entertainment  of 
the  company.  They  were  ordered  to  begin  ;  and  firfl 
entered  a  man  in  the  drefs  of  a  do6lor,  who  brought  a 
large  quantity  of  fmall  wood,  of  ftraight  and  crooked 
billets  ;  and  having  laid  them  on  the  middle  ot  the 
hearth,  retired.     On  his  back  was  written  Reuchlin, 

When  this  a6lor  was  gone  off  another  entered,  ha- 
bited alfo  like  a  do6tor,  who  attempted  to  make  faggots 
of  the  wood,  and  to  fit  the  crooked  to  the  ftraight  ;  but 
having  laboured  long  to  no  purpofe,  he  went  away  out 
of  humour,  fliaking  his  head.  On  his  back  appeared 
the  name  of  Erasmus, 

A  third,  dreffedlike  an  Auguftinian  monk,  came  in 
with  a  chafing  difh  full  of  fire,  gathered  up  the  crooked 


Sec.    VI.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         309 

In  this    critical   flate  of  things  with  the  Pro- 

teftants,   the  obftinacy  of  Luther,  which  prevented 

him  and  his  hiends  from  uniting  with    Zuinglius 

and  his  friends,  appeared  to  be  particularly  unfor- 

U  3  tun  ate. 

wood,  put  it  upon  the  fire,  and  blew  till  he  made  it 
bum,  ^then  went  away,  having  upon  his  frock  the  name 
of  Luther. 

A  fourth  entered  drefled  like  an  emperor,  who 
feeing  the  crooked  wood  all  on  fire,  feemed  much  con- 
cerned; and  to  put  it  out  drew  his  fword,  and  poked 
the  fire  with  it,  which  only  made  it  burn  the  brifker. 
Oahl.y  back  was  written  Charles  V. 

Laflly,  a  fifth  entered  in  his  pontifical  habit  and  with  a 
triple  crown,  who  feemed  extremely  furprized  to  fee  the 
crooked  billets  on  fire,  and  by  his  countenance  and 
attitude  (hewed  excefiive  grief.  Then  looking  about 
on  every  fide  to  fee  if  he  could  find  any  water  to  extin- 
gLiilh  the  flame,  caft  his  eyes  on  two  bo.ttles  in  a  corner 
of  the  room,  one  of  which  was  full  of  oil  and  the  other 
of  water,  and  in  his  hurry  he  unfortunately  feizsd  on 
the  oil  and  poured  it  upon  the  fire,  which  made  it 
blaze  fo  violently,  that  he  Avas  forced  to  walk  off.*  On 
hisback  was  written  Leo  X. 

This  little  farce  Jortin  (from  whofe  Life  of  Erasmus 
p.  584.-  I  copy  it)  adds  wants  no  commentary  ;  but  if 
the  merry  a6lors  had  taken  it  into  their  heads  to  repre- 
fent  the  whole  condudl  of  Erafmus,  they  (liould  have 
introtluced  him  a  fecond  time,  and  have  reprefented 
him  as  conftrained  by  the  menaces  of  Leo  X  to  take  up 
the  flraight  wood,  and  biu-a  it  along  with  the  crooked. 


3l^ 


THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 


tanate.  On  this  account  Bucer  made  another  at- 
tempt at  a  reconciliation,  and  at  length  he  in  lome 
meafure  fucceeded.  With  the  confent  of  the  e- 
le£tor  of  Saxony,  and  the  citizens  of  Strafburgh, 
he  vvent  from  Au;ifbarg  to  vififc  him.  and  found 
him  much  more  favourably  difpofed  than  beiore. 
How  far  he  fucceeded  does  not  appear  ;  but  Bucer 
was  encouraged  by  it  to  go  from  him  to  Zaingli- 
us,  and  the  reformed  Switzers  ;  and  the  cunfe- 
quence  was  the  forming  of  a  league  for  fix  years 
with  the  landgrave  and  the  cities  of  Zurich,  Eafil, 
and  Strafburgh,  that  if  any  violence  fhould  be  of- 
fered to  any  of  them  on  account  of  their  religion, 
they  fhould  affifl  one  another.  This  was  made 
in  November, 

The  ele6lor  of  Saxony  being  fummoned  to 
meet  the  emperor  at  Cologn  about  the^reation  of 
a  king  of  the  Romans,  he  requefted  a  meeting  of 
the  landgrave,  and  the  other  Proteflant  princes  at 
Smalcald  the  28th  of  Pcicmber,  when  they  all 
entered  into  a  league,  but  purely  for  their  own  de- 
fence; and  the  other  Frotellant  princes,  cities, 
and  fl.tes,  were  invited  to  accede  to  it.  Sleidan, 
p.  14?..  From  this  meetir.g  letters  were  addielT- 
ed  to  (hekmgs  of  France  and  of  England,  in  which 
thev  endeavoured  to  anfwer  feveral  caluninies 
which  had  been  propagated  concerning  them ; 
they  gave  an  accouac  of  the  proceedings  at  Augf- 

burgh 


Sec.   VI.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       3U 

burgh,  and  requefled  their  interference  to  procure 
a  general  and  impartial  council.  To  thefe  letters 
favourable  anfwers  v/ere  in  due  time  returned. 

On  the  29th  of  March  a.  d.  1531,  the  Pro- 
teftant  princes  had  another  meeting  at  Smalcald, 
and  then,  with  the  confent  of  Luther  himfelf,  who 
on  farther  refleftiDn  had  been  led  to  approve  of 
defenfive  wajc,  in  a  caufe  in  which  both  civil  and 
religious  rights  were  alike  involved,  they  fettled 
every  thing  relating  to  their  league,  as  the  fums 
that  each  (hould  contribute,  the  command  of  the 
armies,  and  the  terms  on  which  others  fhould  be 
admitted  to  join  the  confederacy,  &c.  The  ele6lor 
of  Saxony  \vouId  not,  however,  confent  to  the  ad- 
miflion  of  the  Sacramentarians  into  the  league. 
He  was  fenfible,  he  faid,  of  the  great  acceflfion 
which  it  would  bring  to  their  flrength  ;  but  we 
ought  not  for  that  reafon  have  recourfe  to  unlaw- 
ful afsiftance,  but  leave  the  event  to  God. 

When  they  were  at  Smalcald,  they  received 
the  emperor's  requifition  to  contribute  to  the  war 
againft  the  Turks  ;  but  they  replied  that,  till  they 
could  be  sffured  that  they  Ihould  not  be  harrafled 
by  the  rmperial  chamber  with  aftions  on  account 
of  religion,  which  would  necelTarily  lead  them  to 
fland  on  their  own  defence,  they  could  not  fo  far 
difarm  themfelves  ;  and  there  being  an  immediate 
neceffity  to  oppofe  the  Turks,  the  emperor,  then 
U  4  holding 


S12  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

holding  another  diet  at  Ratifbon,  found  himfelf 
obliged  to  promife  that  till  the  meeting  of  a  gene- 
ral council  no  perfon  fhould  be  mole  fled  on  ac- 
count ot  his  religion  ;  on  which  the  Proteftants, 
then  feven  princes,  and  twenty  four  cities,  promif- 
ed  their  afliftance  againfl  the  Turks.  This  agree- 
ment was  ratified  Auguft  2d  a.  d.  1532,  In  the 
mean  time  a  better  agreement  had  been  made  be- 
tween the  Lutherans  and  Zuinglians,  the  latter 
having  fo  explained  their  dodlrine  that  the  former 
accepted  of  it.  On  the  6th  of  Aiigufl  the  eleftor 
of  Saxony  died,  and  was  fucceeded  by  his  fon 
John  Frederic,  juilly  furnamed  ths  Magnani- 
moiis. 

Prefently  after  this,  the  pope  and  the  emperor 
fent  ambafladors  to  the  eleftor,  to  fignify  their  a- 
greement  to  hold  a  general  council  in  the  ufual 
manner,  and  deliring  his  concurrence  with  it ;  the 
pope  giving  the  choice  of  Placentia,  Bologna,  or 
Mantua,  for  the  holding  of  it,  and  requiring  his 
promiic  to  abide  by  its  decrees.  He  declined 
giving  any  anfwer  without  the  concurrence  of  his 
friends ;  and  the  Proteftant  princes  meeting  at 
Smalcald  January  30  a.  d.  1 533,  gave  their 
joint  anfwer;  faying,  that  the  councir  of  which 
they  had  now  received  notice  was  by  no  means 
fuch  as  had  been  promifed  in  the  imperial  decree, 
and   was  not  hkciy    to  anfwer     any   good  end. 

For 


Sec.   VI.     THE  CIIRISTIAN  CHURCH.       S13 

For  if  it  vras  held  according  to  the  ufual  cuftom, 
the  pope  would  prcfide,  and  all  thed  rrees  would 
be  in  his  own  favour.  But  they  faid  that  if  the 
council  was  held,  they  would  either  attend,  or  fend 
their  ambaffadors,  provided  they  fawany  profpcft 
of  its  anfwering  a  good  end  :  but  that  if  the  pro- 
ceedings in  that  council  fhould  reiemble  thofe 
of  the  later  ones,  they  would  leave  the  affair  to 
Almighty  God,  who  would  undoubtedly  vhidi- 
cate  his  own  caufe,  and  that  of  true  religion. 

Thus,  in  a  favourable  concurrence  of  circum- 
flances,  a  toleration  was  procured  for  the  Proteft- 
ants  tor  an  indefinite  time,  there  being  no  proba- 
bility that  any  council  would  be  held  during  the 
pontificate  of  Clement,  whofe  averfion  to  the 
meafure  was  well  known;  and  no  great  inferefl  of 
the  whole  empire,  fuch  as  a  war  with  the  Turks, 
could  be  carried  on  without  the  hearty  concur- 
rence of  the  Proteftant  as  well  as  the  Catholic 
princes.  Befides  an  open  war  with  the  ProteRants, 
on  account  of  their  religion  only,  was  a  meafure 
that  the  emperor  did  not  chufe  to  hazard. 

When  the  emperor  left  Germany  he  went  to 
Italy  ;  and  again  conferring  with  the  pope  on  the 
fubje6l;  of  the  council  which  he  had  much  at  heart, 
the\  agreed  to  fend  ambafiadors  jointly  to  the 
Proteftant  princes,  giving  them  the  choice  of  three 
cities  in  Italy  for  the  holding  of  it,  on  coridi'ion 
U  5  that 


31*  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

that  it  fhould  be  held  in  the  antient  manner*  and 
that  all  parties  fhould  be  bound  by  its  decrees. 

To  this  they  anfwered,  that  fuch  a  council 
could  not  poflibly  anfwer  the  end  propoled,  fince 
the  pope  would  have  it  in  his  power  to  conduft 
every  thing  juft  as  he  pleafed,  and  that  it  was  con- 
trary to  the  laws  of  the  empire  that  the  council 
Ihould  be  held  any  where  but  in  Germany.  They 
faid,  however,  that  if  they  faw  any  profpefl  of  a 
good  end  being  anfwered  by  their  attendance,  and 
queftions  were  decided  according  to  the  fcriptures, 
they  would  attend ;  and  they  concluded  with  in- 
treating  the  emperor,  whofe  province  it  was,  to 
fee  that  juftice  was  done  to  them  and  to  all  par- 
ties, to  confider  the  importance  of  the  cafe,  and 
fee  that  the  bufinefs  was  condu6led  in  a  proper 
manner.  They  then  appointed  a  corirmittee  of 
divines  and  lawyers  to  draw  up  a  fcheme  of  arti- 
cles on  which  they  were  to  infift,  with  refped;  to 
the  form  of  the  council.  It  was  evident,  however, 
that  the  pope  was  far  from  wifhing  that  any  coun- 
cil fhould  be  held,  and  in  his  private  inftrudions 
to  his  ambaflfador,  he  bade  him  take  care  that,  tho* 
prefTed  by  Ferdinand  himfelf,  he  fhould  not  lay 
him  under  the  neceiTiy  of  holding  any  council  at 
all. 

In  the  mean  "time  the  Proteflants,  feeing  that 
it  was  the  intention  of  their  enemies  to  cruih  them 


Sec.  VI.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        2is 

by  any  means,  made  a  league  f'^rtheii  ^rnrity 
with  the  kin  of  France  ;  and  the  landgrave,  ^vlio 
was  always  ready  to  have  recourfe  to  arms,  raifed 
an  army,  and  meeting  with  ten  thoufand  of  the 
troops  of  Ferdinand  on  the  13th  of  May  a.  d. 
*534»  defeated  them,  and  took  feveral  towii.  of 
importance.  But  the  archbifhop  of  Mentz  and 
the  ele6lorof  Saxony  interpofing  their  good  offices, 
peace  was  made  on  the  terms  that  no  violence 
(hould  be  done  to  any  per  Ton,  and  no  law  luits 
commenced  on  the  account  of  religion,  [sleidan.  p. 
173)  but  without  comprehending  the  Anabap- 
tifts  or  Sacramentarians  ;  and  that  the  cletlo,  of 
Saxony  fiiould  acknowledge  Ferdinand  king  of  the 
Romans. 

The  pope  was  greatly  ofFended  at  this  pacifi- 
cation, but  Ferdinand  apologized  for  it  as  the  only 
means  of  preventing  greater  troubles.  Prefently 
after  this  the  pope  died,  and  was  facceeded  by 
Paul  HI  ofthehoufe  of  Fainefe. 


SECTION 


S16]  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 


SECTION  VII. 

From  tilt  death  of  Clement  VII,  in  a.  d.  1554,  t9 
the  EjlabUpiment  oj  the  Itoleration  in  Germany, 
A.   D.  1559. 


P 


AUL  III,  not  having  the  apprehen- 
fions  of  Clement,  propofed  to  the  Proteftants  the 
holding  of  the  council  for  which  they  had  fo  often 
called ;  but  as  he  propofed  that  it  fhould  be  held 
in  Mantua,  and  was  not  explicit  about  the  mode 
of  proceeding  in  it,  they  declined  giving  their  af^ 
fent.  They,  alfo  in  Tided  that  the  pope,  who  was 
a  party,  fhould  not  be  the  judge,  and  that  the  de- 
cifions  fhould  be  according  to  the  fcriptures.  And 
being  flill  harralTed  by  the  proceedings  of  the 
chamber  of  Spire,  notwitiflanding  the  promife  of 
reliet  from  the  emperor  and  Ferdinand,  they  on  the 
12th  of  December  a.  d.  1535,  renewed  their 
league  of  Smalcald,  which  was  near  expiring,  for 
ten  years  more.  They  had  received  ambafTadors 
from  the  king  of  France,  who  was  at  variance 
with  the  emperor,  and  alfo  from  the  king  of  Eng- 
land 


Sec.  VIIv      TPIE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       51^ 

land,  who  had  quarrelled  with   the  pope,  but  no 
a6live  meafures  were  entered  into  by  them. 

The  emperor,  being  at  Rome  in  April  a.  d. 
T536,  infixed  fo  much  on  the  necellity  of  a  coun- 
cil, that  the  pope  appointed  nine  perfons  to  draw- 
up  a  bull  for  the  convocation  of  one  to  meet  at 
Mantua  the  23d  of  the  following  May;  and  it 
was  fubfcribed  by  twenty- fix  cardinals.  At  the 
fame  time  a  committee  was  formed  for  the  refor- 
mation of  abufes  in  his  own  court.  Afterwards,  on 
the  duke  of  Mantua's  infilling  on  a  garrifon  for 
the  fecurity  of  the  town,  the  council  was  proro- 
gued to  the  firfl  of  November. 

It  was  in  vain  that  the  emperor  endeavoured  to 
reconcile  the  Proteftants  to  a  council  convened 
by  the  pope,  as  they  clearly  forefaw  that  no  juftice 
would  be  done  to  them  in  it.  The  king  of  Eng- 
land alfo  protefled  againft  it,  alleging  the  avowed 
hoftility  of  the  pope  to  him  ;  and  indeed  lhepop6 
had  promoted  a  peace  between  the  emperor  and 
the  king  of  France  with  a  view  to  crufh  both  the 
king  of  England  and  the  Proteftants.  The  latter 
alfo  complained  again,  but  to  no  purpofe,  of  the 
conduQ;  of  the  chamber  of  Spire,  which,  tho*  or- 
dered not  to  meddle  with  any  caufes  relating  to 
religion,  yet  decided  many  againft  them  on  the 
pretence  of  their  being  civil  caufes,  or  of  a  mixed 

nature. 


3i»  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXIL 

nature.  The  Proteflants  alfo  wiftied  to  have  the 
emperor'^s  approbation  for  admitting  into  their 
league  feverai  princes  and  cities  who  had  joined 
them  after  it  was  firft  formed,  but  in  vain. 

The  pope  at  this  time,  unable  to  refift  the  in- 
ceffant  calls  for  reformation,  appointed  twelve  per- 
fons,  among  whom  were  four  cardinals,  to  exa- 
mine into  the  abufes  complained  of,  and  to  make 
a  report  concerning  them;  and  they  feem  to  have 
done  It  with  fidelity,  as  may  be  concluded  from  a 
view  of  the  articles  themfelves.  They  complained 
that  bifhopricks  were  often  given  to  perlons  difli- 
tute  of  learning  or  probity,  and  fometimes  to  boys. 
Thiy,  therefore,  advifed  that  pcrfons  fhould  be 
appointed  to  examine  the  candidates  for  bifhopricks, 
and  alfo  that  natives  of  one  country  fhould  not 
have  preferments  in  another.  They  faid  that  bi- 
fliops  made  refignations  of  their  benefices  with  the 
r<'fervaMon  ol  a  great  proportion  of  the  revenues 
to  themfelves,  that  they  contrived  to  difpofe  of 
them  by  will,  that  the  children  of  priefis  enjoyed 
the  benefices  of  their  fathers,  that  perfons  were  ap- 
pointed to  bifhopricks  before  the  death  of  .the  in- 
cumbents, that  feverai  were  enjoyed  by  the  fame 
perfons,  thit  bifhopricks  were  given  to  cardinals 
who  conld  not  rrfide  ;  whereas,  according  to  the 
antient  canons,   no  bilhop  fhould  be   abfent  from 

his 


Sec.  VII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*        3l9 

his  church  more  than  three  weeks,  that  too  many 
of  the  cardinals  refided  at  a  diftance  from  Rome; 
where  they  ought  to  be  prefent  to  advife  and 
afhft  the  pope. 

They  farther  complained  that  church  difcipHne 
was  much  relaxed,  and  that  penalties  and  cenfures 
were  bought  off.  They  faid  there  were  many  bad 
examples  among  the  monks,  and  that  there  was 
much  open  and  notorious  lewdnefs  in  nunneries, 
and  therefore  advifed  that  no  monks  fhould  be 
confeffors  to  nuns. 

Much  mifchief,  they  faid,  had  arifen  from  pub- 
lic difputations  and  controvcrfial  fermons,  and 
from  the  unreftrained  publication  of  books,  efpeci- 
ally  from  the  Colloquies  of  Erafmus  being  taught  in 
fchools.  Priefts,  they  faid,  were  often  permitted 
to  marry, and  that  difpenfations  to  marry  within  the 
prohibited  degrees  were  too  often  given, that  (imony 
was  fo  common  that  no  perfon  was  afhamed  of  it, 
that  every  perfon  was  allowed  to  have  divine  fer- 
vice  in  his  own  houfe,  and  to  chufe  priefts  to  per- 
form it.  • 

They  alfo  complained  of  the  abufe  of  indulgen- 
ces which  they  faid  fhould  not  be  diftributed 
more  than  once  a  year,  and  only  in  the  greater 
towns.  They  faid  that  divine  fervice  was  often 
performed  in  an  indecent  manner  at  Rome,  and 
even  in  the  church  ot  St  Peter,  the  priefts  being 

both 


&20  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

both  ignorant  and  flovenly.  Common  proftitutes, 
they  faid,  appeared  in  public,  riding  on  mules,  and 
living  in  magnificent  houfes,  where  they  were  vifit- 
ed  even  by  cardinals,  that  there  were  no  where  to 
be  feen  fuch  marks  of  diffolutenefs  and  debauchery 
as  in  that  city,  which  ought  to  be  the  pattern  of 
virtue  and  decency  to  every  other. 

They  conclude  with  earneftly  exhorting  the 
pope  to  apply  a  lemedy  to  all  thefe  public  difor- 
ders,  and  thereby  avert  the  wrath  of  God,  which 
they  faid  hung  over  them  for  their  fins. 

This  fcheme  of  a  reformation  was  not  publifli- 
ed,  nor  was  it  ever  reduced  to  praftice,  Nicolas 
the  cardinal  and  archbifhop  of  Capua,  who  was 
fuppofed  to  fpeak  the  real  fentiments  of  the  pope, 
was  violently  again  ft  all  reformation  ;  alleging  that 
the  Lutherans  would  boaft  that  they  had  compell- 
ed them  to  it.  It  was  fuppofed  however,  that  it 
was  by  means  of  this  cardinal  that  the  fcheme  was 
divulged,  and  Luther,  coming  to  the  knowledge 
of  it,  wrote  to  expofe  it.  The  pope  prorogued  the 
council  to  the  firft  o!  May,  and  not  being  able  to 
prevail  upon  the  emperor  and  the  king  of  France 
to  attend  at  that  time,  he  again  prorogued  it  to  the 
Eafter  following  to  meet  at  Vicenza. 

In  A.  D.  1538,  the  king  of  Denmark,  and  in 
A.  D.  1542,  Otho  the  prince  Palatine,  joined 
the  Protellants.    The  eleftor  of  Brandenburg,  tho' 

Qf 


Sec.  VII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        321 

of  the  Lutheran  religion,  refufed  to  join  this 
league,  and  was  in  all  other  refpefts  devoted  to  the 
emperor. 

In  order  to  countera61:  the  league  of  the  Pro- 
teftantSj  the  Catholic  princes,  among  whom  was 
George  duke  of  Saxony,  Lewis  duke  of  Bavaria, 
and  Henry  duke  of  Brunfwick,  who  was  particu- 
larly eager  to  make  war  on  the  Proteftants,  were 
induced  by  the  emperor  to  enter  into  a  league 
which  they  called  the  holy  league,  and  which  was 
to  continue  eleven  years.  However,  at  the  diet  of 
Frankfort,  in  a.  d.  1539,  the  emperor  granted  the 
confederates  a  truce  for  fifteen  months,  that  there 
might  be  a  conference  of  learned  men  on  the  fub- 
jeft  of  religion,  but  the  Anabaptifts  were  not  com- 
prehended in  it. 

In  this  year  George  duke  of  Saxony  died,  and 
was  fucceeded  by  his  brother  Henry,  a  zealous 
Proteftant,  who  immediately  invited  Luther  to 
preach  at  Leipfic,  in  ordei  to  promote  the  reforma- 
tion, which  was  a  great  acquifition  to  the  Proteft- 
ant caufe. In  MarchA.  d.  1540  the  Proteftants  met 
at  Smalcald,  and  by  a  letter  to  the  emperor  made 
every  reprefentation  to  procure  peace  ;  but  at  the 
fame  time  they  concerted  proper  meafures  for 
their  defence,  if  he  ihould  not  be  influenced  by 
them, 

VoL.V,  X  After 


S22  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXIL 

After  much  preparation  in  preceding  meetings, 
the  conference  which  had  been  propofed  between 
the  oppolite  parties  was  opened  at  Ratifbon,  but 
it  had  no  more  efFe6t  than  the  former  ones  ;  and 
an  invafion  .  f  i-he  Turks  being  at  that  time  appre- 
hended, the  emperor  thought  proper  to  make  fuch 
conceflTions^as  mduced  the  Proteflant  princes  to 
join  their  forces  to  repel  them.  The  p.incipal  of 
thefe  conceflions  was  a  reformation  in  the  imperial 
chamber,  by  which  a  number  o\  Proteftants  wero 
to  be  admitted  as  judges  in  it.  But  this  being  af- 
terwards evaded,  the  Proteftants  refufed  to  abide 
by  the  awards  of  this  court,  and  at  the  diet  of  Nu- 
remberg in  A.  D.  1542,  they  declined  contributing 
to  the  Turkifh  war  on  that  account. 

In  the  mean  time  the  pope  was  doing  everjr 
thing  in  his  power  to  promote  a  war  againfl  the 
Proteftants,  and  in  a.  d.  1545*  he  prepared  an 
army  of  twelve  thoufand  men  to  afTift  in  it  ;  but 
things  were  not  then  ripe  for  the  meafure.  A 
Francifcan  friar  preaching  before  the  emperor,  ex- 
horted him  to  an  immediate  war  ;  faying  that  ma- 
ny thoufand  fouls  were  dayly  in  danger  of  eternal 
damnation,  and  that  if  he  did  not  apply  a  remedy 
God  would  require  them  at  his  hands.  The  king 
of  England  at  this  time  informed  the  Proteftants 
that  they  were  threatened  with  a  dreadful  war. 
On  the  other  hand  they  were  accufed  to  the  em- 
peror 


Sbc.  VII.  the  christian  church.        iU 

peror  of  confpiring  againft  his  authority.  Another 
conference,  however,  was  held  on  the  fubjeft  of  re- 
ligion at  Ratifbon  ;  but  after  fome  progrefs  it  was 
broke  up  in  confequence  of  fome  directions  of  the 
emperor  concerning  it,  to  which  the  Proteftants 
relufed  to  accede. 

It  was  in  this  ftate  of  things,  wh^n  every  thing 
was  tending  to  an  open  rupture,  that  Luther,  who 
had  always  been  an  advocate  for  peace  and  fobear- 
ance,  died.  On  the  17th  of  February  a.  d.  1556 
having  been  requefted  to  a6l  the  part  of  an  umpire 
between  two  counts  of  Mansfield,  in  which  was 
Ifleben  the  place  of  his  nativity,  he  went  thither; 
and  having  difpatched  that  bufinefs,  he  was  feized 
with  fome  diforder  in  his  ftomach,  and  after  fome 
difcourfe  about  knowing  one  another  in  a  future 
ftate,  of  which  he  faid  he  had  no  doubt,  hedefired 
his  friends  to  pray  to  God  for  the  prefervation  of 
the  pure  doftrine  of  the  gofpel ;  for  that  the  pope 
and  the  council,  which  was  juft  then  afTembled  at 
tTrent,  were  hatching  mifchief.  Then,  he  earneftly 
prayed  that  God,  who  he  faid,  had  revealed  to  him 
his  fon  Jefus,  whom  he  had  loved  and  preached, 
while  the  pope  and  others  had  perfecuted  and  dil- 
honoured  him,  would  receive  his  foul;  adding, 
*'  O  heavenly  father,  tho'  I  be  fnatched  out  of  this 
**  life,  tho*  I  mufl  now  lay  down  this  body,  ycfe 
*'  know  I  afTuredly  that  I  fhall  abide  with  thee 
X  2  ♦'forever. 


SU  THE  HISTORY  OF     Per.  XXH 

«'  forever,  and  that  rio  man  fhall  pluck  me  out  of 
*'  thy  hands."  Prefcntly  after  this,  without  any 
appearance  of  pain  or  agony, he  expired  on  the  i8th 
of  February  at  the  age  ot  fixty  three,  and  five  days 
after  he  was  honourably  buried  at  Wittemberg. 
In  this  pious  and  exemplary  manner  died  this  ex- 
traordinary man,  who  had  been  raifed  up  by  God 
to  be  a  principal  inftrument  in  promoting  the  great 
and  neceflary  work  of  reformation  ;  and  contrary 
to  the  expeftation  of  many,  he  died  in  peace,  and 
not  a  violent  death,  as  thoufands  who  preceded  and 
followed  hfm  in  the  fame  caufe  did. 

While  the  emperor  was  taking  his  meafures  for 
the  fuppreflion  of  the  Proteftants  by  force,  he  took 
great  pains  to  deceive  them.  The  landgrave  wait- 
ing upon  him  at  Spire  freely  mentioned  to  him 
the  circumftances  which  led  them  to  fufpeft  that 
he  had  made  peace  with  the  king  ot  France,  and  a 
truce  with  the  Turks,  with  a  defign  to  fall  upon 
them.  But  he  affured  them  that  he  had  no  fuch 
intention,  and  that  the  fufpicions  he  had  been  led 
to  entertain  of  them  were  alfo  removed  ;  that  it  was 
not  his  intention  that  any  violence  fhould  be  of- 
fered to  them  on  account  of  any  decrees  of  the 
council  of  Trent,  and  after  a  long  confeience  they 
parted  feemingly  well  difpofed  to  each  other. 

With  all  thefe  profreflions  of  peace  the  emper- 
or was  fully  determined  on  war,  and  from   Ratif- 

bon^ 


Sec.  VIL     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      325 

bon,  where  the  diet  was  held,  he  fent  the  cardinal 
of  Trent  fo  Rome,  to  require  of  the  pope  the  fac- 
cours  he  had  promifed,  and  made  other  preparati- 
ons. Alarmed  at  this,  the  Pioteftanis  defired  to 
be  informed  concerning  the  objc6l  of  them,  but  he 
returned  only  an  evafive  anfwer ;  faying  that  his 
defign  was  to  eHabbfii  peace  and  juftice,  that  thofe 
who  (hould  allift  him  in  this  would  find  favour, 
but  that  the  forces  he  was  railing  would  reduce 
thofe  who  fhould  oppofe  him  in  it.  His  letters  to 
the  free  cities  of  the  empire  made  his  real  defions 
flill  more  apparent. 

The  deputies  of  the  Proteftant  ftates  finding 
this  left  Ratifbon,  and  the  cities  of  Upper  Ger- 
many, immediately  raifed  forces,  and  writing  to 
the  landgrave  and  the  eleftor  of  Saxony,  promifed 
them  all  the  affiftance  in  their  power.  Thefe  two 
princes  raifed  their  forces,  but  before  they  com- 
menced hoftilities  they  wrote  to  the  emperor,  re- 
xnonft rating  againft  his  conduft.  as  contrary  to  all 
his  profefSons,  when  it  was  now  evident  that  he 
was  undertaking  a  war  for  the  fupprefiion  of  the 
gofpel,  and  the  liberties  of  Germam^,  and  for  no 
other  caufe  whatever.  They  then  wrote  to  the 
kings  ot  England  and  France,  and  other  dates,  to 
folicit  fuccours  ;  alleging  that  it  was  a  vy,ar  of  reli- 
gion, and  that  it  was  the  emperor's  intention,   un- 

X  3  der 


W6  THE  HISTORY  OF        PzR.   XXII, 

der   colour  of  punifhing  a  few,    to  divide  them, 
and  deftroy  them  all  one  after  another. 

Whiift  the  emperor  was  proceeding  with  as 
much  fecrecy  as  he  could,  and  really  aimed  at  en- 
larging his  power  in  Germany,  the  pope  a6led 
without  any  difguife,  proclaiming  to  all  the  world 
that  the  obje6i;  of  the  war  was  the  fupprefiion  of 
herefy  ;  and  on  the  13th  of  July  a.  d.  1546  he 
pubhfhed  a  bail,  in  which,  after  complaining  of 
the  obitinacy  of  the  heretics,  who,  he  faid,  flighted 
and  rejefted  the  council  which  was  then  fiiting  at 
Trent,  he  exhorted  all  perfons  to  faft  and  pray 
.  that  Cod  would  give  fuccefs  to  the  war,  which 
me  emperor  and  himfelf  were  obliged  to  under- 
take for  the  rooting  out  of  herefy,  and  reftoring 
peace  to  the  church. 

This  open  conduft  of  the  pope  was  more  than 
fufficient  to  open  the  eyes  of  the  Proteflant  con- 
federates to  fee  their  real  fituatiorj,  and  according- 
ly the  landgrave  took  the  field  the  16th  of  the 
fame  month,  and  Schertellini,  one  of  the  Protefl- 
ant gttierals,  foon  made  himfelf  mafter  of  Eren- 
berg,  an  important  pafs  in  the  Alps  leading  to 
Italy,  in  order  to  prevent  the  arrival  of  the' forces 
of  the  pope. 

The  emperor  finding  his  diffimulation  of  no 
farther  ufe,  proclaimed  the  eleftor  of  Saxony  and 
the  landgrave  outlawed,  and  declared  war  againft 

them 


Sec.  VII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        S27 

them  in  the  ufual  forms.  However,  the  meafures 
of  the  Proteftants  were  fo  well  laid,  and  their  force 
fo  great,  that  they  would  certainly  ha\'e  been  an 
overmatch  for  the  emperor,  if  Maurice,  the  fon  and 
heir  of  Henry  duke  of  Saxony,  had  not  adhered 
to  him.  This  prince,  tho' a  Proteftant,  was  defir- 
ous  of  fupplanting  his  relation  in  the  deflorate, 
and  to  him  and  his  brother  Auguflus  the  emperor 
committed  the  execution  of  the  ban  of  the  empire, 
requiring  him  to  take  pofTeffun  of  the  eledor's 
eftates,  and  alfo  thofc  of  the  landgrave.  The 
be  tter  to  fucc**ed  in  this,  Maurice  continued  with 
the  Proteftants.  • 

After  a  formal  declaration  of  war,  in  anfwer  to 
that  of  the  emperor,  the  Proieflants  marched  to 
Ratifbon,  and  had  they  been  governed  by  the  land- 
grave, who  was  for  immediately  attiickiug  the  em- 
peror, thtre  can  be  no  doubt  but  they  would  htive 
had  him  in  their  power  ;  but  his  advice  was  over- 
ruled. And  prefently  after  Maurice  having  call- 
ed a  council  ofhisftate.s,  in  which  he  afTured  them 
that  their  reli,^ion  was  in  no  danger,  declared  that 
they  were  under  obligation  to  obey  th6  emperor  in 
all  temporal  matiers,  and  that  as  ihe  ftates  of  his 
relation  tlu  eleflor  v/ere  in  danger  of  fuffering 
from  rhe  invafion  of  tore'gneis,  he  perfuaded  iheui 
to  take  part  with  the  emperor  in  this  war,  and 
fejzeupon  the  deflorate  ;  aad  this,  ai^ter  fome  ne- 
X  4  gociation. 


528  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

gociation,  in  which  he  pretended  much  friendfhip 
for  his  relation,  he  in  a  great  meafure  did.  And 
tho'  the  eleftor  not  only  recovered  what  Maurice 
had  taken  from  him,  and  gamed  other  advantages, 
yet  in  a  pitched  battle  tought  the  2  2d  of  April 
A.  D.  1547  at  Mulberg  on  the  Elbe,  he  was  de- 
feated, taken  prifoner,  and  fentenced  to  die  for  re- 
bellion. But  on  the  interceflion  of  the  duke  of 
Brandenburg,  the  emperor  remitted  the  fentence, 
on  condition  of  his  renouncing  the  deflorate. 

He  refufed,  however,  to  confent  to  what  the 
emperor  alfo  propofed,  viz.  that  he  would  approve 
of  whatever  the  council  of  Trent  or  the  emperor 
ftiould  decree  concerning  religion,  tho'  his  life  de- 
pended upon  it ;  and  in  all  refpefls  he  behaved 
with  the  greateft  piety  and  magnanimity.  Such 
conditions  were  propofed  to  the  landgrave  as  he 
thought  proper  to  accept;  but  waiting  on  the 
emperor  at  Hall,  other  conditions  than  thofe  to 
which  he  had  agreed  were  prefented  to  him  ;  and 
notwithftandirig  the  remonftrances  of  Maurice, 
and  the  ele£lor  of  Brandenburg,  who  had  made 
themfelves  refponfible  for  his  fafety,  and  the  em- 
peror's own  word  to  the  contrary,  he  was  detained 
a  prifoner. 

The  city  of  Magdeburg  Hill  held  out  againft 
the  emperor,  and  was  therefore  put  under  the  ban 
of  the  empire,  and  hoth  the  emperor  and  Maurice 

having 


Sec.  VII.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      329 

having  gained  their  principal  objeCls,  of  which 
that  of  the  former  was  an  acceflion  of  powe*-  by 
fupprefling  his  opponents,  and  that  of  the  latter 
the  fupplanting  of  the  eleQor,  and  getting  himfelf 
appointed  in  his  place,  nothing  was  faid  on  cither 
fide  with  refpeft  to  religion.  Indeed,  the  pope,  was 
fo  fully  apprized  of  the  real  obje£t  of  the  emper- 
or, and  had  fuch  a  dread  of  his  fuccefs,  that  he  had 
on  various  pretences,  and  efpecially  his  not  having 
openly  declared  himfelf  againft  the  Proteflants  as 
heretics,  withdrawn  his  troops.' 

Maurice,  who  had  always  profefled  great  zeal 
for  the  Proteflant  caufe,  fent  for  Melandhon,  and 
other  divines  of  Wittemberg,  treated  them  with 
great  civility,  made  large  profefEons  of  his  zeal  for 
rehgion,  and  committed  to  them  the  care  of  the 
church  and  of  the  univerfity.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  pope,  who  now  dreaded  the  increafed  power 
of  the  emperor,  having,  on  the  pretence  of  an  in- 
fe£lious  diftemper,  removed  the  council  from 
Trent  to  Bologna,  with  a  view  to  having  it  more 
in  his  own  power,  the  emperor  was  much  offended, 
and  ordered  his  bilhops  and  divines  to  remain  at 
Trent  ;  and  a  diet  being  held  at  Augfburg  July 
the  3d,  he  moved  the  princes  to  remonftrate  with 
the  pope  on  the  fubjeft.  No  fatisfadion  being  ob- 
tained, and  there  being  no  profpe£t  of  promoting 
the  union  of  the  empire  by  means  of  the  council, 
.  X  5  with 


330  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

with  the  concurrence  of  the  flates,  commiflioners 
were  appointed  to  draw  up  heads  of  dodtrine,  and 
articles  oi  reformation. 

The  perfons  appointed  were  Julius  Pflug 
bifhop  of  Nuremberg,  Michael  Siionius,  and 
Ajjricola.  who  ei^jhteen  years  before  had  defended 
theProteflant  do£lrine  in  company  with  Melan£lh- 
thon  and  Brentius.  Having  drawn  up  thefe  arti- 
cles, they  were  prefented  to  the  emperor,  and  af- 
terwards communicated  to  all  the  parties.  This 
meafure  being  intended  to  anfwer  a  tempora- 
ry purpofe,  obtained  the  title  of  the  Interim,  but 
it  gave  fatisfa£lion  to  few.  It  was  received  by  the 
elector  of  Brandenburg  in  the  Palatinate,  and  at 
Wittemberg,  but  it  greatly  difpleafed  the  pope 
and  the  Catholics,  as  not  made  by  proper  autho- 
rity, and  no  lefs  the  more  zealous  Proteftants,  efpe- 
cially  the  late  ele6lorof  Saxony,  v^ho  tho'  a  prifon- 
er,  rejected  very  flattering  offers  that  were  made 
to  him  if  he  would  accept  it ;  and  tho'  he  was  treat- 
ed with  peculiar  harlbnefs  for  hi?  refufal.  His 
anfwer  to  the  propofal  difcavers  the  greatefl  mag- 
nar.i'mity,  a  mind  deeply  fenhble  to  his  fituation, 
but  unbroken  by  it,  and  preferring  the  things  of 
another  life  to  every  thing  in  this.  It  was  alfo  re- 
je6ted  by  the  fubjecls  of  the  landgrave.  On  the 
publication  of  this  Interim  one  inconfiderable  city, 
but  It  does  not  appear  which,  intreated  the  emperor 

to 


«EC.  VII.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        331 

to  be  content  that  their  goods  and  their  lives  were 
at  his  (erviee,  but  that  he  would  permit  titm  to 
referve  their  confciences  for  God  ;  and  lead  of  all 
was  it  reasonable,  they  Paid,  that  he  fhould  force 
upon  them  a  thing  which  he  did  not  himfcli  ac- 
cept, or  believe  to  be  true.      F.  Paul,  p.  479. 

The  citizens  ot  Magdeburg  added  much  to 
their  oflPence  by  their  reje£lion  of  the  Interim. 
They  alio  complained  of  encroachments  on  their 
civil  liberties ;  and  tho  fome  of  their  forces  were 
defeated,  they  perlifted  with  great  magnanimity 
in  their  refiftance.  On  this  Maurice  was  appoint- 
ed to  command  the  force  of  the  empire  again (t 
them  ;  but  when  they  were  obliged  to  capitulate, 
good  fecurity  was  given  them  both  with  refpedl  to 
their  liberties  and  their  religion. 

By  granting  thefe  favourable  terms  to  the  citi- 
zens of  Magdeburg,  and  by  various  alliances  with 
foreign^  powers,  Maurice  was  continually  flrentfth- 
ening  himfelf ;  while  the  emperor,  intent  on  the 
war  that  he  was  carrying  on  in  Italy,  and  on  the 
proceedings  oi  the  council,  had  no  fufpicion  of  hi« 
defigns,  which  were  to  gain  the  liberty  of  his  father 
in  law  the  landgrave,  and  the  liberties  of  Germany 
in  general,  if  not  by  fair  means,  by  force  of  aims ; 
and  the  emperor  giving  only  evafive  anCwers 
to  all  his  applications  in  favour  of  the  landgrave, 
he, having  fecretly  increafed  his  forces,  and  made  a 

league 


iiS  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

league  with  the  king  of  France,  in  the  fpring  of 
A.  D.  1552,  publiQied  a  declaration  to  the  ftates 
of  the  empire,  complaining,  that  after  many  pro- 
m'fts  nothing  was  done  in  favour  of  religion,  or  of 
his  faiher  in  la'v,  and  that  fteps  were  taken  to  e- 
ftablifh  an  arbitrary  power  in  the  empire,  and  ex- 
pr<^lIino  his  refolution  to  take  up  arms  for  the  com- 
mon liberty.  The  declaration  was  alfo  Ggned  by 
Albert  duke  of  Mecklenburg.  Alfo  Albert  of 
Brandenburg  publifhed  a  declaration  ot  a  iimilar 
nature,  and  the  king  of  France  another. 

Thefe  fteps  being  taken,  Maurice  made  fuch 
difpatch,  that  the  emperor,  who  faw  his  danger, 
and  began  to  levy  troops  when  it  was  too  late,  ve- 
ry narrowly  efcaped  being  taken  prifoner  at  Inf- 
pruck,  from  which  he  fled  by  night,  together  with 
his  brother  Ferdinand.  At  length  a  treaty  was 
made  at  Paffaw,  in  which  it  was  agreed  that  the 
landgrave  fhould  be  fet  at  liberiy,  that  within  fix 
months  the  emperor  fhould  hold  a  diet  of  the  em- 
pire in  order  to  compofe  the  differences  about  re- 
lioion  and  that  in  the  mean  time  all  perfons  fhould 
live  in  peace,  and  not  be  molefted  on  that  account; 
alfo  that  perfons  of  the  Auguftan  confefTion  fhould 
be  admitted  into  the  imp  rial  chamber.  The  em- 
peror moreover  fet  at  liberty  the  late  eleQor  of 
Saxony,   and  behaved  to  him  with  great  kindnefs. 

The 


Sec.  VII'      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      33S 

The  ftate  of  the  empire  not  admitting  of  any  far- 
ther meafures  with  refpe6l  to  the  council,  the  Pro- 
teftants  were  from  that  time  permitted  to  enjoy 
their  religious    liberty  with  httle    interruption. 

Maurice,  who  by  his  fupcrior  policy,  had  bern 
the  means  of  effefting  this  great  event,  and  of  tftab- 
lifhing  his  family  in  the  eledlorate,  died  in  battle 
in  A.  D.  15/53,  fighting  again  ft  Albert  of  Bran- 
denburg, who  had  been  joined  with  him  againft 
the  emperor,  but  afterwards  entered  into  hoftilities 
with  feveral  princes  and  ftates  of  the  empire.  Au- 
guftus  the  brother  of  Maurice  fucceeded  him  in 
the  ele6lorate,  and  the  magnanimous  John  Fred- 
crick,  who  died  expreffing  fentiments  of  the  moft 
pious  refignation  in  A.  D.  1554,  never  recovered 
it,  tho'  by  a  treaty  made  a  fhort  time  before  his 
death,  his  heirs  were  to  fucceed  in  cafe  Auouflus 
fliould  die  without  male  iffue.  His  wife  Sibilla,  a 
woman  poffeflfed  of  the  piety  and  magnanimity  of 
her  hufband,  and  ftrongly  attached  to  him,  died  the 
year  before. 

During  the  interruption  of  the  council  of 
Trent  in  a.  d.  1554,  Ferdinand,  then  king  of  the 
Romans,  publilhed  an  edi6t,  by  which  he  ordered 
that  no  innovation  ftiould  be  made  in  matters  of 
religion.  He  alfo  procured  a  catechifm  to  be 
compofed  by  fome  divines  of  his   appointment, 

which 


334  THE  HIS  I ORY  OF        PKRi  XXII. 

which  he  ordered  to  be  ufed  in  pubHc  and  in  pri- 
vate. This  gave  equal  offence  to  the  Proteftant* 
and  the  court  of  Rome,  which  naturally  took  great 
umbrage  at  fuch  an  interference  of  the  fecular 
J  ower  in  matters  of  religion. 

At  I  he  diet  in  Augfburg  February  5,  a.  d. 
1554,  he  propofed  another  conference,  or  national 
council,  to  fettle  all  differences.  From  this  the 
Proteflants  augured  nothing  favourable  to  them, 
lince  in  Bohemia  he  had  publifhed  an  edi6l  by 
which  more  than  two  hundred  minifters  had  been 
baniflied.  Nor  was  it  better  received  at  Rome. 
A  legate,  however,  attended  on  the  part  of  the 
pope ;  but  in  this  ftate  of  things  he  died,  and  was 
fucceeded  by  Marcellus  II,  who  fhewed  great  zeal 
for  the  reformation,  but  died  within  the  year,  and 
had  for  a  fucceffor  Paul  IV.  Both  paities  being 
equally  obftinate,  and  fomc  termination  of  their 
differences  being  abfolutely  neceffary,  it  was  fi- 
nally agreed  that  all  the  Proteflants  Ihould  have 
full  liberty  with  refpefl  to  the  religion  of  their 
refpeftive  ftates,  that  if  any  ecc^efiaftical  perfon 
(hould  abandon  his  religion  he  fhould  lofe  his  be- 
nefice, but  notfufferin  any  other  refpe6fc. 

This  agreement  gave  great  offence  to  the  pope, 
and  the  more  as  he  had  juft  received  the  fubmiflion 
of  the  kimgdom  of  England  on  the  acceffion    of 
queen  Mary ;  and  he  threatened  to  excommuni- 
cate 


Sec.   VII.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     '&io 

cate  both  the  emperor  and  Ferdinand  if  they  did 
not  revoke  what  they  had  granted;  piomKing 
them  the  aid  of  his  troops,  and  that  he  would  or- 
der all  the  chriftian  princes  to  join  them  with  theirs 
if  they  would  comply  with  his  wifhes.  Whea 
among  other  reafons,  they  alleged  the  oath  they 
had  taken,  he  faid  he  would  abfolve  them  from 
that,  and  even  commanded  them  to  pay  no  regard 
to  it.  But  it  was  without  any  eirefl,  and  the 
agreement  made  at  PafTaw  was  finally  confirmed 
at  another  diet  held  at  Ratifbon  in  a,  d.  1559. 
F.Paul  vol.  2,  p.  50.  And  thus  the  great  objc6l  of 
the  politic  and  powerful  Charles  was  efFcdually 
defeated.  Seeing  his  difappointment  in  this,  and 
his  other  ambitious  fchemes,  he  renounced  the  em- 
pire, and  all  his  dominions,  and  retired  to  a  mo- 
naftery  in  Spain,  where  he  died  in  a,  d.  1558, 


SECTION 


It3«  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 


SECTION  VIII. 


OJ  ths  Analaptijls  in  Germany, 


I 


.T  is  to  be  lamented  that,  as  there  is  no 
evil  unaccompanied  with  fome  good,  and  fo  there 
is  no  good  without  fome  attendant  evil.  While 
fome  men  are  roufed  to  think  with  freedom,  ener- 
gy, [and  juftnefs,  others  will  think,  and  often 
a£i,  very  extravagantly ;  and  by  this  means  the 
beft  of  caufes  fometimes  fuflFers.  This  was  particu- 
larly the  cafe  at  the  time  of  the  reformation  in 
Germany. 

Thomas  Muncer,  ot  whom  fome  account  has 
been  given,  as  at  the  head  of  the  revolted  peafants, 
and  who  pretended  to  immediate  infpiration,  had 
many  admirers  and  followers ;  and  there  cannot 
be  a  doubt  but  that,  extravagant  as  their  opinions 
and  condu61;  were,  they  were  at  their  outfet .fincere, 
and  difinterefted,  and  that  the  generality  of  them 
always  were  fo.  Some  of  their  tenets  are  almoft  a 
proof  of  it ;  for  they  indicate  the  mofl  paffive  and 
inoflPenfive  difpofition.  Befides  renouncing  the 
baptifm  of  infants,  from  which  they   had   their 

name, 


Sec.  VIII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*       337 

name,  they  held  it  to  be  unlawful  for  a  chriftian  to 
go  to  law,  to  bear  any  office  of  magiftracy,  to  take 
an  oath,  or  to  have  any  property  ;  but,  like  th« 
primitive  chriftians,  they  were  to  have  all  things 
in  common,  Skidan,p.  igo.  Succefs,  however, 
led  them  to  depart  from  fome  of  thefe  principles. 
Other  real  enthufiafts  have  afted  in  a  fimilar  man- 
ner. 

The  reformers  having  got  pofTeffion  of  fome 
of  the  churches  in  Munfter  by  an  agreement  with 
the  Catholics  in  a,  d.  1533,  John  Matthew,  or 
Matyflen,  and  John  of  Leyden,  violent  Ana- 
baptifts,  came  thither,  and  tho'  at  firft  they  were 
oppofed  by  Bernard  Rotman,  who  had  introduced 
the  reformation  into  that  city,  they  were  afterwards 
joined  by  him  j  and  being  very  afliduous  in  preach- 
ing, efpecially  by  night,  they  made  fo  many  pro- 
felytes,  that  the  magiftrates,  ofFended  at  the  pro- 
grefs  of  the  new  opinions,  banifhcd  them  from 
the  city.  They  found  means,  however,  to  return, 
and  their  numbers  continued  to  increafe;  and  one 
of  them  pretending  to  infpiration,  ran  about  the 
flreets,  crying,  "  Repent  and  be  baptized,  or  the 
♦'  wrath  of  God  will  overwhelm  you." 

The  moft  a£iive  among  them  was  Knipper- 
doling;  and  inviting  their  friends  from  other 
places,  they  were  joined  by  many  of  the  poorer 
fort,  and  many  of  the  rich  citizens  leaving  the 

Vol.  V,  Y  place. 


33«  THE  HISTORY  OF  p£R.  XXIL 

place,  they  chofe  magiftrates  out  of  their  own  bo- 
dy, and  Knipperdolingwas  created  conful.  They 
then  baniftied  all  who  would  not  join  them,  and 
feizing  their  property,  they  brought  it  all  into  one 
common  ftock.  They  alfo  ordered  all  books  to 
be  burned  except  the  Bible,  and  demolifhed  the 
churches,  John  ot  Leyden  pretending  to  have  a 
revelation  for  it.  He  then  appointed  twelve  mi- 
nifters  to  a6l  under  him,  and  publiftied,  as  a  new 
revelation,  that  a  man  might  marry  as  many  wives 
as  he  pleafed,  and  he  himfelf  took  three.  This 
occafioned  a  revolt  of  many  of  the  mare  fober  ci- 
tizens ;  but  they  were  overpowered,  and  fome  of 
them  put  to  death.  After  this  the  bifhop  afiifted 
by  the  ele6lor  of  Cologn,  and  the  duke  of  Cleves, 
befieged  the  city,  and  Matthew  being  killed  in  a 
fally,  at  the  motion  of  one  of  them  who  pretended 
to  the  gift  of  prophecy,  John  was  made  king,  and 
it  was  faid  that  he  was  to  be  the  univerfal  monarch, 
and  to  put  down  all  other  kings.  On  this  he  af- 
fumed  all  the  enfigns  of  royalty,  and  fent  miffio- 
naries  to  make  converts  in  other  places,  who  pro- 
claimed that  the  time  was  come  when  the  vieek 
Jhould  inherit  the  earth,  and  that  Luther  was  worfe 
than  the  pope.  But  they  were  generally  feized 
and  put  to  death. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  city   was  ftill    befieged, 
and  a  meeting  of  the  neighbouring  princes  being 

held. 


SECiVlIL    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     t6^ 

held,  the  ele6lor  of  Saxony  joined  the  confederacy 
that  was  entered  into  againft  them,  and  notice  was 
given  them  that  unlefs  they  defifted  from  their 
purpofe  they  would  be  befieged  by  all  the  forces 
of  the  empire.  This  was  in  December  a.  d.  1534  5 
but  having  no  efFeft,  the  city  was  befieged  in  due 
form,  and  after  the  people  had  fuffered  much  by 
famine,  it  was  taken  the  22d  of  June  a.  d.  I535- 
Thc  king  and  Knipperdoling  were  feized,  while 
Rotman  was  killed  fighting*  The  king  arid  fome 
others  of  the  prifoners  were  carried  about  Germany, 
and  being  then  taken  back  to  Munfter  they  were 
tortured,  and  put  to  death  the  19th  of  January 
A.  D.  1536,  and  afterwards  cxpofed  in  iron  cages 
at  the  top  of  the  tower  in  the  city,  Sleidan,  p« 
202. 

This  feverity  had  the  befi  efFeft,  all  the  Ana- 
baptifts  on  this  giving  up  every  idea  of  civil  pow- 
er, and  becoming  the  moft  peaceable  of  citizens^ 
and  perhaps  the  more  fo  for  having  received  this 
checkk 


Yi  SECTION 


S40  THE  HISTORY^OF        Per.  XXn. 


SECTION  IX. 

^hc  Hijlory  of  the  Council  of  Trent, 


H 


A VI NG  given  a  pretty  large  account 
of  all  the  former  great  councils,  becaufe  the  pro- 
ceedings relating  to  them  fhew  in  a  clear  light  the 
fpirit  of  the  times  in  which  they  were  held,  I  think 
it  no  lefs  ufeful  with  refpeft  to  this  council  of 
Trent,  which  is  the  laft  of  them.  No  council 
whatever  was  confidered  at  the  time  as  more  ne- 
ceflary  to  heal  the  wounds  of  the  church,  and  of 
none  of  them  were  greater  expeftations  formed,  at 
leafl;  by  fome  of  the  parties  concerned,  and  none 
of  them  fo  little  anfwered  the  purpofes  of  thofc 
who  were  the  moft  folicitous  about  it.  In  no 
council  whatever  was  the  policy  and  management 
of  the  court  of  Rome  fo  confpicuous,  or  fo  fuccefs- 
ful,  in  turning  to  its  own  advantage  what  was  in- 
tended to  militate  againfl  it.  And  that  human 
policy,  and  not  the  infpiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
diftated  all  the  decrees,  will  hardly  be  denied  by 
5iny  perfon  who  attends  to  the  hiflory  of  it,  efpe- 

cially 


Sec.  IX.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        zii 

cially  as  written  by  Father  Paul,   from   whofc  ac- 
count the  following  is  principally  taken. 

The  council  being  appointed  to  meet  at  Trent, 
the  15th  of  March  a.  d.  1545,  the  pope,  Paul  III, 
fent  four  cardinals  as  his  legates,  who  were  there 
at  the  time.  There  arrived  alfo  on  the  part  of  the 
emperor  James  Mendoza,  a  Spaniard,  Nothing, 
however,  was  done  till  the  3d  of  May,  when  ten 
bifhops  being  arrived,  a  congregation  was  held  to 
regulate  the  ceremonials  of  the  council,  in  which 
the  greateft  devotion  to  the  p6pe  was  very  manifeft. 
The  number  of  bifhops  being  deemed  fuliicient 
for  the  opening  of  the  council,  the  firfl  feflion 
was  held  on  the  13th  of  December;  when,  after 
the  celebration  of  the  mafs,  the  cardinal  legates 
read  a  fpeech,  informing  the  Fathers  that  the 
council  was  called  for  three  purpofes,  viz.  the  ex- 
tin£lion  of  hcrefy,  the  reftoration  of  difcipline,  and 
the  peaces  of  Europe.  After  this  an  oration  was 
delivered,  exhorting  all  perfons  to  reform  their 
lives,  and  to  attend  without  prejudice  to  the  bufi- 
aefs  on  which  they  were  met. 

The  pope,  having  received  advice  of  the  o- 
peningof  the  council,  appointed  a  congregation  of 
cardinals  and  officers  of  his  court  to  attend  to  every 
thing  that  paffed  in  it,  and  dire6t  its  proceedings  ; 
when  orders  were  given  that  it  fhould  have  the 
following  title  prefixed  to  all  the  decrees.  The  holy 
Y  3  acumenical 


342  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXIL 

cecumenical  and  general  council  of  Trent,  the  legates 
of  the  apojlolicalfee  prefiding  in  it ;  that  the  votes 
fhould  not  be  by  nations,  as  in  the  councils  of 
Conftance  and  Bafil,  but  in  the  manner  of  that  of 
Lateian,  by  which  means  the  influence  of  the 
bifhops  of  diftant  provinces,  who  could  not  attend 
in  great  numbers,  would  be  inconfiderable,  com- 
pared to  that  of  thofe  of  Italy,  who  were  more  fub- 
je£l  to  the  controul  of  the  pope. 

When  the  title   was   propofed  at  Trent,  the 
French  prelates  would  have  added  the  words  repre- 
fenting  the  univerfal  church,  which  had  been  uied 
at  the  councils  of  Conftance  and  Bafil.     But  the 
legates  oppofed  it,  left  it  fhould  excite  a  recollefti- 
on  of  thofe  councils,  and  imply  that  it  had  a  power 
fuperiorto  that  of  the  pope;  but  what  they  alleged 
was,  that  it  was  too  pompous,  and  would  give   an 
advantage  to  the  heretics.     Every  other  precaution 
that   had  ever  been  taken  to  fecure  the  influence 
of  the  court  of   Rome  was  introduced,  efpecially 
the  holding  oijeparate  congregations,  or  committees 
of  particular  members,  in  which  every  thing  fhould 
be    difcufTed,    and  alfo  general  congregations,  in 
which,  after  this,  every  perfon   might  be  heard  on 
the  fubjed,  before  the  fejfi on,  which  by  this  means 
was  reduced  to  a  mere  ceremony,  to  publifh  what 
had    been    agreed    upon    in    the    congregations. 
Things  being  conduced  in  this  manner,  it  was  not 

pofTiblo 


Sec.   IX.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         343 

poffible  but  that  the  influence  of  the  court  of  Rome 
and  its  agents  fhould  be  abfolute. 

The  legates  alfo  advifed  the  pope,  that  fince 
the  emperor  would  fend  fome  prelates  from  Spain, 
men  of  great  learning,  and  ability,  in  whom  he 
could  place  confidence,  he  alfo  fhould  fend  ten 
or  twelve  fuch  perfons  on  his  part,  that  they  might 
be  able  to  reply  to  them  ;  as  mofl:  of  the  prelates 
who  were  then  alTembled,  tho'  well  difpofed,  had 
little  knowledge  or  difcretion,  and  that  thcfe  who 
had  much  capacity  were  difficult  to  be  governed. 

There  was  for  fome  time  much  debating  about 
the  order  in  which  matters  of  dod line  and  of  re- 
formation fhould  be  difcuflTed,  and  the  legates 
were  very  urgent  to  get  inflrudions  from  Rome  on 
the  fubjecl.  But  at  that  time  the  pope,  being  chief- 
ly intent  on  promoting  the  war  againfl  the  Pro- 
teflants,  neglefted  the  bufinefs,  and  the  emperor 
being  alfo  employed  about  the  war,  and  fatisfied 
that  the  council  was  opened,  was  very  indifferent 
to  its  proceedings.  The  legates  being  thus  left  to 
themfelves,  they  were  unwilling  to  enter  upon  any 
thingofmuch  importance;  but  that  they  might 
be  doing  fomething,  the  lecond  feilion  was  opened 
on  the  4th  of  February  a.  d.  1546,  in  which  they 
agreed  upon  a  contedion  of  their  faith,  and  appoint- 
ed the  third  feffion  for  the  8th  of  April;  as   thsy 

y  4  were 


S44  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXII. 

were  informed  that  many  more  bifliops  were  on 
their  way  to  join  them. 

After  much  difputing  in  the  congregations,  on 
various  articles  relating  to  the  canon  of  fcripture, 
which  they  next  entered  upon,  it  was  at  length 
agreed,  that  in  this  third  feffion  it  fliould  be  de- 
clared that,  fince  every  thing  relating  to  truth  or 
to  morals  was  contained  either  in  books,  or  in  tra- 
ditions, which  the  apoftles  had  received  from  the 
mouth  of  Jefus  Chrift,  and  which,  being  diftated 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  had  been  tranfmitted  from 
hand  to  hand  in  the  church,  the  council,  after 
the  example  of  the  Fathers,  received  with  the 
fame  refpe6l  all  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New 
Teflaments,  and  alfo  the  traditions  which  relate 
to  faith  ormoials;  as  having  come  from  the  mouth 
of  Jcfus  Chrift.  And  after  an  enumeration  of  the 
facred  books,  in  which  they  include  thofe  of  the 
Apocrypha,  an  anathema  was  pronounced  againft 
thofe  who  ftiould  deliberately  difpife  the  traditi- 
ons. It  v;as  alfo  ordered  that  an  exaft  edition 
fhould  be  made  of  the  Vulgate  tranflation,  which 
they  declared  to  be  authentic^  and  that  no  anony- 
mous books  treating  of  facred  things,  that  were  not 
approved,  and  the  approbation  inferted  in  the 
book,  fhould  be  printed,  fold,  or  retained,  under 
pain  of  excommunication,  and  the  pecuniary  pe- 
nalty fixed  by  the  council  of  Lateran. 

This 


Sec.  IX.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        345 

This  firft  decree  of  the  council,  from  which  fo 
much  was  expeded,  being  made  pubhc,  gave  very 
little  fatiifaSion.  It  was  thought  extraordinary 
that  five  cardinals  and  forty  eight  bifliops  fhould 
take  upon  them  to  determine  articles  of  fuch  im- 
portance. None  of  them,  it  was  faid,  were  dif- 
tinguifhed  tor  their  knowledge  ;  that  there  were, 
indeed,  among  them  fome  able  canonifts,  but 
none  who  had  much  knowledge  of  religion  ;  that 
the  theologians  among  them  were  men  of  little  ca- 
pacity ;  that  a  great  proportion  of  the  members 
were  gentlemen  and  courtiers  ;  that  fome  of  the 
bilhops  were  only  fecular,  that  the  reft  reprefent- 
ed  fees  fo  inconGderable  that  altogether  they  could 
not  reprefent  the  thoufandth  part  of  chriftendom; 
that  there  was  not  a  fmgle  bifhop  or  theologian 
from  Germany,  and  only  one  of  their  bifliops,  viz. 
of  Augfl^urg,  who  had  a  deputy  there,  and  that  he, 
was  a  Savoyard.  Afterwards  it  appeared  that,  by 
orders  from  the  pope,  nothing  was  ever  done 
towards  corre6ling  the  vulgate  tranflation  of  the 
fcriptures. 

The  pope,  reflc£lingon  this  and  other  circum- 
ftances,  .faw  that  it  was  neceffary  to  give  more  at- 
tention than  he  had  hitherto  done  to  the  bufinefs 
of  the  council.  He  therefore  increafed  the  num- 
ber of  cardinals  and  prelates  to  whom  he  deputed 
the  diredion  of  it,  advifed  them  to  ufe  great  cauti- 
Y  5  on 


346  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

on  with  refped  to  the  decrees,  not  to  employ  their 
time- on  any  thing  that  was  not  difputed  by  the 
heretics,  and  leaft  of  all  not  to  fufFer  any  difpute 
about  the  authority  of  the  papal  fee. 

A  circumftancc  occurred  at  this  time  which 
the  Proteftants  confidered  as  fhewing  the  infigni- 
ficance  of  the  council.  The  ele£loral  bifhop  of 
Cologn,  who  was  inclined  to  the  reformation,  was 
excommunicated  by  the  pope,  without  confulting 
the  council  ;  and  yet  the  emperor,  whofe  interefl 
it  was  that  the  bifhop  fhould  not  join  the  Pro- 
teftants, then  in  open  oppofition  to  him,  paid  no 
regard  to  the  excommunication,  but  treated  him 
as  ftill  the  bifhop.  The  Proteftants,  therefore, 
reprefented  to  the  emperor,  that  it  was  time  to 
provide  for  the  wants  of  Germany  by  a  national 
council,  or  diet,  in  which  the  bufinefs  of  religion 
fliould  be  the  principal  objeft. 

After  much  altercation  between  the  legates  of 
the  pope  and  the  minifters  of  the  emperor,  who 
Vi'ifhed  that  fome  articles  of  reformation  fhould  be 
entered  upon  before  thofe  of  faith,  it  was  determin- 
ed to  proceed  to  the  difcuffion  of  the  do6r-iae  of 
original  fin^  and  to  join  to  it,  as  an  article  of  re- 
formation, the  co'.redion  of  the  abufes  which  le- 
fpcfted  preacJwng, 

A  bifliop  from  Spain  complained  much  of  the 
dimunition  of  the  original  power  of  the  bifhops 

with 


Sec.  IX.        THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       54,7 

with  refpeft  to  the  inllm^ion  of  their  flocks,  by 
the  encroachment  of  the  univerfities  on  the  one 
hand,  where  alone  theology  was  taught,  and  that 
of  the  monks  on  the  other,  who  had  engrofTcd  the 
whole  bufinefs  of  preaching,  and  yet  made  no 
good  ufe  of  it  for  the  folid  inftruftion  of  the  peo- 
ple, but  only  endeavoured  to  amufe  them,  and 
draw  money  from  them.  To  this,  he  faid,  was 
owing  all  the  mifchief  of  the  reformation,  which 
could  not  have  taken  place  if  Luther  had  been  con- 
fined to  his  cell.  But  to  all  this  the  generals  of 
orders  replied,  that  every  thing  he  had  mentioned 
had  arifen  from  the  incapacity,  or  the  negle^l,  of 
the  bifhops,  in  confequence  of  which  the  people 
had  long  been  without  any  inflru6lion  at  all,  that 
the  monks  had  been  invited  to  this  duty  by  the 
chief  paftor  the  pope,  and  therefore  that  their  pri- 
vileges ought  to  be  refpefted. 

The  pope  being  informed  of  this  difpute  re- 
ferred the  matter  to  the  congregation  he  had  ap- 
pointed for  thofe  purpofes,  and  they  conHdered 
that  it  had  been  for  a  long  time  the  great  policy  of 
the  popes  to  preferve  their  primacy  by  withdraw- 
ing the  bifhops  from  their  fubjedlion  to  the  arch- 
bilhops,  and  the  monafteries  from  that  to  the 
bifhops,  by  this  means  to  have  peribns  interelled 
to  defend  their  authority  ;  that  fmce  the  year  a.  d. 
600  the  piirnacy  of  the  holy  fee  had  been  main- 
tained 


U8  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXIL 

tained  by  the  Benedi6lines,  and  the  congregations 
of  Clugny  and  Citeaux,  and  feveral  others  till  the 
rife  of  the  Mendicants,  who  in  their  turn  defended 
it  to  this  day  j  and  therefore  that  to  abolifh  their 
privileges  was  to  attack  not  thofe  orders  only,  but 
the  papacy  itfelf.  But  not  to  offend  the  bifhops, 
it  was  thought  advifable  to  give  them  the  fuper- 
intendance  of  the  theological  ledures,  as  delegates- 
of  the  holy  fee,  an  expedient  to  which  they  had  re- 
courfe  on  other  fimilar  occafions,  and  which  gave 
fatisfa6lion. 

After  much  altercation  among  the  divines  a- 
bout  original  (in,  and  alfo  between  the  Dominicans 
and  Francifcans  about  the  immaculate  conception 
of  the  virgin  Mary,  and  many  advices  from  Rome 
not  to  quarrel  among  themfelves,  but  to  confine 
their  labours  to  the  condemnation  of  the  doftrines 
of  the  Proteftants,  a  decree  was  made  containing 
five  anathemas,  with  many  fubtle  diflinftions, 
againfl  fome  opinions  of  the  Lutherans  on  the 
fubjedi;  of  original  fin,  but  with  a  declaration  that 
they  did  not  include  in  it  any  thing  refpefling  the 
virgin  Mary,  but  on  that  fubjc6l  abode  by  the  con- 
ftitution  of  Sixtus  IV.  On  the  fubje£l  oi preadiing 
feveral  ufeful  regulations  were  agreed  upon,  by 
which  the  bifhops  were  required  to  give  particular 
attention  to  it,  both  in  their  churches,  and  the  mo- 
nafteries  fubjecl  to  their  jurifdi6lion. 

None 


Sec.  IX.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      849 

None  of  the  decrees  of  this  feffion  gave  fatis-* 
faftion  to  the  Proteftants,  or  even  to  the  emperor, 
who  was  difpleafed  that  articles  of  reformation  of  fo 
little  confequence,  and  things  not  required  by  the 
Germans,  fhould  be  treated  of,  and  that  the  doc- 
trine of  original  fin,  which  had  been  fettled  by  di- 
vines on  both  fides  at  the  conference  at  Ratifbon, 
fhould  again  become  the  fubjeft  of  difcuffion. 
He  wilhed  them  to  defer  all  difcuffions  of  this  kind 
till  the  arrival  of  the  Proteftants,  or  at  leaft  of  the 
German  prelates,  who,  he  faid,  would  attend  as 
foon  as  the  diet  fhould  be  clofed.  It  is  very 
evident,  therefore,  that  the  emperor  did  not  confi- 
der  the  proceedings  of  this  council  as  direSed  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  any  more  than  the  Proteftants, 
But  the  war  now  breaking  out  put  an  end  to  all 
confideration  of  the  council.  It  was  the  force  of 
arms,  and  not  of  argument,  from  which  the  great- 
eft  advantage  w«is  expefted  to  be  derived  to  the 
catholic  caufe. 

After  this,  in  order  to  come  at  the  foundation 
of  the  Lutheran  herefy,  the  members  of  the  coun- 
cil proceeded  to  the  difcufTion  of  the  doftrine  of 
Grace  ;  and  this  giving  room  to  many  diftinftions, 
the  d«bate  was  purpofely  prolonged  by  the  legates, 
who,  in  conformity  to  the  wifhes  of  the  pope,  en- 
deavoured to  delay  the  decrees  of  the  next  feffiort 
till  the  event  of  the  war  fhould  be  known.     At 

length 


350  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per;XXIL 

length,  however,  the  feffion  was  held  the  13th  of 
Januar)'^  a.  d.  1547  ;  and,  contrary  to  the  will  of 
the  emperor,  who  did  not  wifli  to  offend  the  Pro- 
feftants,  and  totally  alienate  them  from  the  coun- 
cil, they  paffed  the  decrees  concerning  Grace,  con- 
fifting  of  lixteen  articles,  and  thirty  three  anathe- 
mas, againft  particular  do£lrines  of  the  Proteflants 
on  the  fubjeft.  To  thefe  decrees  concerning 
doftrines  they  joined  others,  according  to  their 
general  lule,  refpefting  reformation,  and  thefe  re- 
lated to  the  refidence  of  bifhops,  which  they  en- 
deavoured to  enforce  by  certain  penalties.  The 
decrees  of  this  feffion,  containing  many  fubtleties, 
were  much  ridiculed  by  the  learned  Proteflants, 
and  it  was  faid  that  the  decrees  to  enforce  refidence 
could  not  have  much  efFe£l. 

It  was  remarkable  that  prefently  after  the  publica- 
tion of  the  decrees  ot  this  feffion  Sola  aDominican, 
and  Catharin  biffiop  of  Minori,  both  of  whom  had 
affifted  in  drawing  up  the  decrees,  and  gave  their 
afTent  to  them,  wrote  each  of  them  treatifes  on  the 
fubjeft,  dedicated  to  the  council,  in  which  they 
maintained  different  opinions ;  and  the  contro- 
verfy  was  carried  on  with  fome  warmth ;  fo  little 
profpeft  was  there  of  thofe  decrees,  particular  as 
they  were,  producing  uniformity  of  opinion. 

In  the  next  place  the  members  of  the  council 
proceeded  to  confider  the  do6lrine  of  ihtfacra- 

ments. 


&EC.    IX.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        SSi 

ments,  which  they  divided  into  a  great  number  of 
articles,  and,  which  occafioncd  as  much  difcuffion 
as  thofe  concerning  the  doQrine  of  grace.  To 
this  they  joined  the  reformation  of  fome  abufes 
refpefting  pluralities,  and  the  quahfications  of 
bifhops.  On  the  3d  of  March  the  feffion  was 
held,  when  the  decrees  concerning  the  facraments 
in  general  amounted  to  thirteen,  thofe  concernincr 
baptifm  to  eleven,  and  concerning  confirmation  to 
three.  Thofe  relating  to  the  articles  of  reformation 
were  fourteen. 

As  thofe  decrees  tended  to  the  exaltation  of 
the  power  of  the  bifhops,  in  derogation  of  that 
of  the  popes,  as  the  contefl  between  the  Do- 
minicans and  the  Francifcans  on  thefe  and  other 
fubjefts  began  to  be  violent,  and  could  not  eafily 
be  kept  within  due  bounds,  as  the  Spanifli  prelates, 
fupported,  it  was  thought,  by  the  emperor,  took 
great  liberties  in  propofing  articles  of  reformation, 
and  the  fuccefs  of  the  emperor's  arms  gave  great 
umbrage  to  the  pope,  he  began  to  be  ferioully 
alarmed ;  and  wifliing  to  get  the  council,  which 
he  could  not  decently  diffolve,  more  into  his 
power,  he  determined  to  remove  it  to  Bologna; 
and  on  the  pretence  of  a  contagious  diftemper  hav- 
ing broken  out  at  Trent,  the  decree  of  the  tranfla- 
tion  of  the  council  to  Bologna,  notwithflanding 
the  remonftrances  of  the  emperor's  prelates,  was 

palTed 


SSr  THE  HISTORY  OF     Per.  XXII 

'  pafled|on  the  iith  of  March  by  thh-ty-fivei)i(hops, 
and  three  generals  of  orders,  but  oppofed  by  one 
cardinal  and  feventeen  other  bilhops,  all  fubjeds 
of  the  emperor,  who  by  his  orders  ftill  remained 
at  Trent. 

It  appeared  afterwards  that  the  bull  for  this  tran- 
flation*had  been  prepared  long  before,to  be  ufed  on 
any  emergency  that  might  occur ;  and  as  the  pow- 
er of  ufing  it  was  delegated  only  to  two  of  the  three 
legates,  it  fliewed  how  intirely  the  council  was  in 
the  power  of  the  pope.  But  that  the  pope  paid 
little  regard  to  the  decrees  of  this  council,  tho'  in 
fa6l  didated  by  himfelf,  appeared  by  the  treaty 
which  about  this  time  he  entered  into  with  Henry 
king  of  France ;  when  he  began  to  be  alarmed  at 
the  acceflion  of  power  acquired  by  the  emperor, 
in  confcquence  of  his  defeat  of  the  Proteilants. 
For  he  gave  his  legates  ample  powers  to  grant  the 
king  whatever  he  fhould  demand  Vtfith  refpefil  to 
beneficiary  matters,  without  any  regard  to  what 
had  been  decreed  by  the  council. 

The  prelates  who  remained  at  Trent  did  not 
chufe  to  do  any  thing  for  fear  of  a  fchifm,  and 
thofe  of  Bologna  contented  themfeves  with  pro- 
roguing their  meetings  in  hope  of  being  joined  by 
thofe  at  Trent,  or  of  inducing  the  emperor  to  ap- 
prove of  the  tranflation ;  but  this  he  could  not  be 
prevailed  upon  to  do. 

In 


Sec.  IX,    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         5S% 

In  this  dormant  ftate,  things  continued  till  the 
death  of  Paul  III,  who  was  fucceeded  hy  the 
cardinal  del  Monte,  who  had  been  legate  to  the 
council  both  at  Trent  and  Bologna,  and  took  the 
name  of  Julius  III.  Tho' he  dreaded  the  em- 
peror, yet,  confidering  the  difl&culties  with  which 
he  began  to  be  preffed  by  the  oppofition  that  was 
made  to  him  in  Germany,  he  thought  he  might 
fafelv  venture  to  refume  the  council,  and  even  at 
Trent.  Accordingly  an  order  was  ilFued  to  doing 
this  the  11th  of  May  a.  d.  1551.  The  emperor 
concurred  in  this  meafure,  thinking  that  by  means 
of  his  refidence  near  the  place  of  the  council,  he 
could  make  it  fubfervient  to  his  political  purpofes, 
both  with  refpeft  to  Germany,  and  the  pope.  But 
the  king  of  France,  having  a  difference  with  the 
pope  on  the  fubjetl  of  Parma,  refufed  to  fend  any 
of  his  prelates,  and  threatened  the  pope  with  a 
national  council.  The  Swifs  cantons  alfo  refufed 
to  fend  any. 

When  the  prelates  were  once  more  affembled 
at  Trent,  they  agreed  that  their  next  feflion  fhould 
be  held  the  ift  of  September  ;  btit  the  pope  who 
was  a  man  of  pleafure,  having  given  little  attention 
to  the  affairs  of  the  council,  the  number  of  prelates 
did  not  exceed  lixty  four,  tho'  the  emperor  now 
fent  many  from  Germany,  and  more  than  before 
from  Spain. 

V©L.  V.  Z  The 


5^4  THE  HISrORY  OF        Per.   XXIL 

The  emperor  being  much  occupied  with  the 
bufinefs  of  the  council,  Maurice  of  Saxony,  the 
moft  powerful  of  the  Proteflant  princes,  and  who 
was  with  him,  favoured  his  views,  and  gave  orders 
for  Melan£lhon  and  the  other  Proteflant  divines 
to  aflfemble  at  Leipfic  for  that  purpofe  ;  but  he 
required  a  fafe  conduft  both  from  the  council  and 
the  emperor. 

On  account  of  the  fmall  number  of  prelates, 
all  that  was  done  at  the  time  that  had  been  fixed 
for  the  feffion  was  to  prorogue  it  to  the  1 1  th  of 
Oftober.  The  bufinefs  defigned  for  it  related  to 
the  euchariji,  with  refpeft  to  dodrine,  and  the 
means  of  enforcing  rejldence  with  refpeft  to  refor- 
mation. But  the  king  ot  France  entered  a  protefl 
aorainfl  the  council,  and  likewife  forbad  the  carry- 
ing any  money  from  France  to  Rome. 

In  the  congregations  which  followed  this  ten 
articles  were  drawn  up,  condemning  the  doftrine 
of  the  Proteftants  with  refpeft  to  the  eucharifi, 
and  others  defining  the  genuine  doftrine  of  the 
church  on  the  fubje6l.  But  the  pope  and  the 
council  were  induced  to  defer  the  decilion  of  the 
article  relating  to  the  communion  in  both  kinds 
till  the  arrival  of  the  Proteflants,  to  whom  it  was 
agreed  that  a  fafe  condu6l  Ihould  be  given.  When 
the  manner  in  which  Chrift  was  prefent  in  the  eu- 
charifl  came  to  be  difeuffed,  there  was  a  great  dif- 

pute 


Sec.  IX.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        35^ 

pute  between  the  Dominicans  and  the  Francif- 
cans,  but  it  was  compromifed  by  agreeing  to  ufe 
fuch  expreflions  as  both  parties  might  approve. 
After  this  the  decrees  were  voted  as  before. 

They  then  proceeded  to  the  doftrines  concern- 
ing j&f  nance  and  extreme  unBion,  and  the  article  of 
reformation  related  to  epifcopal  jurisdiBion.  The 
decrees  on  thefe  fubjefts  were  confirmed  in  the 
feflion  of  the  25th  of  November. 

There  arrived  in  the  mean  time  the  ambalfk* 
dors  of  the  duke  of  Wittemberg,  requiring  a  fafe 
condu6l  for  the  Proteftant  divines,  with  liberty  to 
deliver  a  confeflion  of  their  faith,  and  to  difcufs 
the  articles  of  it.  At  the  fame  time  there  arrived 
ambaffadors  from  Strafburg,  and  other  cities,  and 
on  the  7th  of  June  one  from  prince  Maurice,  all 
requiring  a  fafe  condu£l  for  their  divines,  the  re- 
examination of  the  decrees  which  had  been  pafTed, 
and  that  the  pope  fhould  not  preGde  in  the  coun- 
cil. But  to  this  the  legates  would  not  by  any 
means  confent,  tho'  it  was  to  the  great  difplcafure 
of  the  emperor.  All  that  could  be  obtained  was 
that  the  ambafla^jrs  fhould  be  heard  in  a  general 
congregation  on  the  24th  of  June,  and  that  the 
publication  of  the  articles  which  had  been  agreed 
upon  fhould  be  deferred  till  their  divines  had 
been  heard.  But  tho'  the  ambafTadors  were  heard, 
nothing  fatisfa^ory  to  them  was  gained,  except 
^  2  that 


3jG  the  history  of  Per.  XXII. 

that  a  fufficiently  fatisfa6lory  fafe  conduft  was 
granted  to  the  divines,  which  was  declared  in  the 
fcflion  on  the  25th  of  January  a.  d.  1553.  Alter 
this  four  theologians  arrived  from  the  duke  of  Wit- 
temberg,  and  two  from  Strafburg,  but  they  could 
not  obtain  any  conference  on  the  fubjeft  of  their 
demands,  tho'  it  was  much  urged  by  the  emperor. 
In  the  mean  time,  the  war  between  the  emperor 
and  the  Proteflants,  commanded  by  Maurice, 
breaking  out,  and  the  members  of  the  council  re- 
tiring, the  pope  gave  orders  for  the  fufpenfion  of 
the  council,  which  was  declared  on  the  28th  of 
April  to  continue  two  years,  or  till  the  conclufion 
of  the  troubles. 

The  pope  finding  himfelf  delivered  from  a 
great  embarraflrnent  by  the  fufpenlion  of  the  coun- 
cil, thought  to  avoid  it  for  the  future  by  pretending 
jto  do  that  at  Rome  which  could  not  be  done  at 
Trent ;  and  for  that  purpofe  he  appointed  a  nume- 
rous congregation  of  cardinals  and  other  prelates. 
But  nothing  was  done  by  them,  and  the  council 
continued  fufpended  near  ten  years,  not  being  rc- 
fumedtill  the  pontificate  of  PiusIV,in  a.  d.  1559. 

Averfe  as  this  pope,  like  moft  of  his  predecef- 
fors,  was  to  a  council,  he  perceived  that  a  wifii  for 
it  was  fo  general,  th^t  it  was  abfolutely  neceflary 
for  him  to  rifle  it,  efpecially  in  order  to  avoid  the 
calling  of  a  national   council  in  France  ;  and  after 

much 


Sec.     IX.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     S57 

much  confultation  it  was  agreed,  that  it  fhould  be 
held  at  Trent,  tho'  the  catholic  princes  obje6led  to 
it,  and  the  ProteftantSj  to  whom  the  pope  fent  nun- 
cios, refufed  to  fubmit  Co  any  council  in  which  he 
fhould  prefide. 

The  prelates  being  once  more  aflTembled^  ait 
Trent,  it  was  agreed  to  open  the  council  on  the 
i8th  cf  January,  a.  d.  1562,  without  declaring  in 
exprefs  terms,  but  only  by  implication,  that  it  was 
a  continuation  of  the  preceding  council,  both  the 
emperor  Ferdinand  and  the  kmg  of  France  having 
great  objections  to  that,  fince  no  regard  would 
then  be  had  to  it  by  the  Proteftants  in  their  ftates. 
In  the  fermon  delivered  at  this  fellion  the  preacher 
faid,  that  the  authority  of  the  church  was  not  lefs 
than  that  of  the  word  of  God,  that  the  changing  of 
the  fabbath,  and  the  aboliftiing  of  circumcifion, 
were  not  made  by  the  preaching  of  Chrift,  but  by 
the  authority  of  the  church;  and  he  exhorted  ftre- 
nuoufly  to  combat  the  Proteftants,  and  to  be  af- 
fured  that,  as  the  Holy  SpiHt  could  not  err,  (o 
neither  could  they.  It  was  eafy  to  imagine  ef 
what  nature  would  be  the  proceedings  of  a  coun- 
cil which,  was  opened  in  this  manner.  In  the 
title  of  the  council,  alfo,  the  liberty  of  propofiu'^ 
qiieftions  was  given  excIuCively  to  the  legates, 
notwithftanding  the  remondrances  of  fome  prc-^ 
lates  from  Spain, 

"^  3  In 


358  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXII. 

In  the  feffion  of  the  26th  of  February,  perfons 
were  appointed  to  draw  up  an  Indcte  Expur^atorius, 
or,  a  lift  of  fuch  books  as  were  prohibited  to  be 
read  without  an  exprefs  licence,  to  be  laid  before 
the  council.  Then  followed  a  long  difcuffion  of 
fome  articles  of  reformation,  efpecially  refpefting 
refidence,\n  which  the  Spanifh  prelates,  inftigated, 
it  was  thought,  by  the  king  (Philip  II)  appeared 
to  be  unfavourable  to  the  powei  of  the  pope  with 
refpeO:  to  the  divine  right  of  refidence.  This  fo 
much  alarmed  the  court  of  Rome,  that  the  pope 
faid  if  the  princes  abandoned  him,  he  would  have 
recourfe  to  heaven,  and  God  would  take  care  of 
his  church.  Pie  faid,  however,  he  had  one  million 
in  gold,  and  knew  where  to  find  another  ;  fo  that 
he  did  not  wholy  truft  to  divine  aid.  On  this 
account  the  decilion  of  this  queftion  of  the  right 
of  refidence  was  deferred  to  another  feffion. 

After  this  the  ambaffador  of  the  emperor  pro- 
pofed  twenty  articles  of  reformation,  but  the  le- 
gates declined  the  conlideration  of  them  at  that 
time.  And  the  pope  found  himfelf  fo  much  em- 
barralfed  with  the  affairs  of  the  council,  and  fo 
much  diffatisfied  with  his  legates,  that  he  fent 
Charles  Vifconti,  bilhop  of  Ventimille,  as  his  fe- 
cret  minifter  to  Trent,  with  inftru6lions  to  encou- 
rage the  prelates  who  were  friendly  to  him,  and  to 
gain  others  ifpoffible. 

After 


Sec.  IX.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        3J9 

After  long  debates  on  the  fubjeft  of  communion 
which  had  been  long  deferred,  it  was  decreed  that 
no  divine  law  made  communion  in  both  kinds 
ceceflary,  but  that  communion  in  one  kind  only 
was  fufficient ;  alfo  that  it  wa^  not  neceflary  for  in- 
fants to  communicate.  They  then  decreed  nine  arti- 
cles of  reformation,  refpefting  holy  orders,  the  du- 
ty of  bifliops,  &c.  So  little,  however,  was  done 
in  this  feflion,  from  which  fo  much  had  been  ex- 
pefted,  from  the  intereft  that  the  princes  took  in 
the  queftions,  that  when  the  refult  was  known, 
the  fable  of  the  mountain  bringing  forth  a  moufe, 
was  commonly  applied  to  it. 

In  difcuffing  the  fubje6t  of  the  mafs,  to  which 
the  members  of  the  council  proceeded  in  the  next 
place,  it  was  agreed  that  it  ftiould  be  done  by  the 
theologians  of  the  different  countries;  and  there 
being  none  yet  come  from  France,  the  ambaffa- 
dors  from  that  country  intreated  the  members, 
that  they  would  wait  till  their  arrival,  but  they 
could  not  fucceed  ;  the  perfons  to  whom  they  ap- 
plied always  faying  that  it  did  not  depend  upon 
them.  When  the  minifter  of  France  at  Rome  ap- 
phed  to  the  pope  on  the  fubjeft,  he  replied  that 
he  fhould  leave  it  to  the  legates.  On  which  it  was 
faid  by  the  minifter  at  Trent.  ,"  The  pope  refers 
*'  us  to  his  legates,  the  legates  to  the  fynod,  and 

Z  4  « the 


3^  THE  HISTORY  OF     Per.  XXII 

"  the  fynod  is  not  at  liberty  to  hear  any  propofal. 
*«  and  thus  both  the  king  and  the  world  are  de- 
♦*  ceived." 

After  much  debate  and  intrigue  of  the  friends 
of  the  pope  againft  the  ambaffadors  of  the  princes, 
who  wilhed  them  to  proceed  to  feme  articles  of. 
ferious  reformation,  and  not  take  up  their  time  in 
difputing  about  things  which  no  way  refpe£led  the 
Proteftants,  on  the  17th  of  September  the  fefTion 
was  held,  in  which  feveral  decrees  were  made  ref- 
peding  the  facrifice  of  the  mafs,  and  then  fomc 
articles  cfreformalion  relating  to  the  qualiji cation 
and  conduB  of  bijlwps.  The  qucftion  concerning 
giving  the  cup  to  the  laity  was  alfo  included  in 
the  articles  of  reformation,  and  not  thofe  of  doc- 
trines, and  left  to  the  difcretion  of  the  pope.  It 
was  not  made  an  article  of  faith  becaufe,  accord- 
ing to  the  rules  they  had  laid  down,  an  article  of 
faith  could  not  be  decided  but  by  a  great  majority 
of  voices,  which  in  this  cafe  was  not  expected, 
while  all  articles  of  reformation  were  decided  by 
limple  majorities. 

The  French  wtxe  particularly  dilfatisfied  with 
the  proceedings  of  the  council  at  this  tkne,  com- 
plainmg  that  nothing  to  any  purpofe  was  done  in 
the  bufinefs  of  reformation,  which  all  catholics 
wilhed  for,  or  to  iatisfy  the  Proteftants,  who  would 
never  accede  to  the  decrees  of  a  council  in  which 

they 


Sec.  IX.     THE  CHRIS IIAN  CHURCH.        SGI 

they  had  no  voice.  The  pope,  apprehenfive  of 
the  arrival  of  the  cardinal  of  Lorraine  among  the 
other  prelates  from  France,  endeavoured  private- 
ly to  prevent  his  coming ;  and  at  the  fame  time 
by  openly  fending  more  of  his  own  prelates,  he 
fhowed  him  that  his  coming  would  not  anfwer  any 
purpole  of  oppofition,  as  he  was  fure  to  be  over 
ruled. 

No  remonftrances  from  any  of  the  catholic 
princes  deterred  the  legates  from  proceeding  as 
they  had  begun  ;  and  in  the  next  place  they  pro- 
pofed  the  difcuffion  of  fome  articles  relating  to 
holy  orders.  On  this  the  ambaffador  of  the  em- 
peror obferved,  that  when  they  entered  upon  this 
fubje6l  they  had  a  good  opportunity  of  correding 
a  great  abufein  church  difcipline,  by  declaring  the 
epifcopal  order  to  be  of  divine  authority,  and  ref- 
toring  to  the  bifhops  what  had  been  taken  from 
them  by  refervations,  and  other  methods  oi  the 
court  of  Rome,  and  by  the  incroachment  of  the 
cardinals  on  their  authority.  Ey  this  means,  he 
faid,  the  court  of  Rome  had  not  only  become  cor- 
rupt itfelf,  but  had  carried  corruption  into  all  o- 
ther  churches. 

Alarmed  at  thefe  obfervations,  the   pope  now 

wiftied   by   any    means,    dilfolution,  prorogation, 

or  fufpendon,  to  get  rid  ol  the  council ;    but   this 

was   difagreeabie    to  many   of  the  prelates    who 

Z  5  were 


362  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXU. 

were  friendly  to  him,  as  well  as  to  the  French.  He 
endeavoured,  however,[to  get  the  article  concern- 
ing the  obligation  of  refidence  to  be  difpatched  be- 
fore the  arrival  of  the  cardinal  of  Lorraine,  and  if 
poffible  by  reference  to  himfelf,  or  by  any  means 
rather  than  by  declaring  it  to  be  by  divine  right, 
as  well  as  the  inftitution  of  bifhops.  And  as  to 
the  pontificate,  and  his  court,  he  was  determined 
at  all  events  that  no  reformation  fhould  be  mad« 
refpefting  them  but  by  himfelf. 

He  was  well  aware  that,  had  the  epifcopal  or- 
der been  declared  to  be  of  divine  right,  which  was 
much  urged  in  the  council,  it  would  follow  that 
the  keys  were  not  given  to  Peter  alone,  that  the 
council  was  above  the  pope,  that  bifhops  were  his 
equals,  and  only  gave  him  a  certain  pre-eminence 
over  them,  that  the  fuperiority  of  cardinals  to 
bifhops  would  be  entirely  overturned,  and  they 
ivould  be  reduced  to  the  rank  of  fimple  prefbyters 
cr  deacons.  The  obligation  to  refidence  would  be 
a  neceffary  confequence,  the  bifhops  would  draw 
to  themfelves  the  collation  to  benefices,  preventi- 
ons and  refervations  would  be  deftroyed,  and  the 
power  of  the  court  of  Rome  would  be  wholy  anni- 
hilated. Among  other  methods  to  prevent  this 
meafure,  Lainez,  the  general  of  the  Jefuits  was 
employed  to  make  a  long  fpeech,  in  order  to 
prove  that  the  whole  power  of  jurisdi6lion  be- 
longed 


Sec.  IX.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      363 

longed  to  the  pope.  Happily  for  the  pope  this 
€xcited  no  debate,  and  occafioned  the  legate  no 
difiiculty.  Being  preffed  on  all  fides,  he  thought 
of  relieving  himfelf  by  propofing  that  refidence 
fhould  be  enforced  by  rewards  and  punifhments, 
without  declaring  any  thing  concerning  the  moral 
obligation. 

In  this  ftate  of  things  arrived  the  long  expell- 
ed cardinal  of  Lorraine,  and  he  was  received  with 
all  poffible  refpeft,  all  the  legates  meeting  him  at 
the  gate  of  the  city,  and  conducing  him  to  his 
lodgings.  He  did  not,  on  the  whole,  appear 
fo  hoftile  to  the  interefts  ofthe  pope  as  had  been 
apprehended,  but  he  gave  much  umbrage  by  hold- 
ing private  congregations  in  his  own  houfe  upon 
every  fubjeft  of  difcuffion,  as  it  was  feared  this 
might  divide  the  council,  and  even  lead  to  an  open 
fchifm.  But  the  Roman  prelates  had  a  fecret  un- 
derftanding  with  the  Spaniards,  by  means  of  which 
they  were  apprized  of  all  that  pafTed  in  thofe  con- 
gregations ;  and  the  king  of  Spain,  tho'  he  wiflied 
for  fome  reformation,  was  fufficiently  favourable 
to  the  pope. 

When  the  cardinal  came  to  the  graat  fubica 
in  debate,  he  fpoke  much  at  large,  and  in  fuch  a 
manner  as  not  greatly  to  offend  either  |#r.rty.  The 
church,  he  faid,  had  received  its  jurifdi£lion  im- 
mediately from  God,  that  when  the  keys  were  giv- 
en 


864  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXiL 

en  to  Peter,  it  was  not  td  his  perfon,  but  as  ref- 
petling  the  whole  church ;  that  the  bifhops  re- 
ceived from  God  that  part  of  their  jurifdi6lion 
which  is  attached  to  their  order,  that  councils  alfo 
had  their  authority  from  God  ;  but  then  they 
muft  be  united  to  their  head,-  and  that  nothing 
could  preferve  the  union  of  the  church,  but  the 
flrengthening  the  pontifical  authority  ;  and  he 
concluded  with  advifing  not  to  fay  abfolutely  that 
the  authority  of  the  bifhops  was  of  divine  righk^ 
but  to  ufe  fome  other  expieflion,  as  thatthey  were 
injlitutcd  by  Jefus  ChriJL 

This,  however,  did  not  fatisfy  the  pope, who  was 
much  dift  urbed  at  the  turn  which  he  perceived  things 
were  taking;  and  in  his  letter  to  the  legates  infifted  on 
their  forming  the  canon  in  this  manner;  viz.  that 
Jefus  Chrift  had  inftituted  bifhops  to  be  appointed 
by  the  pope,  from  whom  they  receive  fuch  portion 
of  authority  as  he  (houtd  judge  proper  to  give  theni 
for  the  good  of  the  church  ;  and  that  with  refpe6l 
to  refidence,  he  fhould  have  the  power  of  difpenf- 
ing  with  it.  The  pope  himfelf  conftantly  affifled 
at  the  congregations  that  were  held  in  Rome  on 
the  afFairs  of  the  council,  and  after  much  debate 
it  was  agreed,  that  the  canon  fliould  exprefs  that 
bifhops  held  the  principal  place  in  the  church, 
but  in  dependance  on  the  pope,  who  invited  theih 
to  relieve  him  of  part  of  his  charge. 

About 


Sec.  IX.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*       365 

About. this  time  the  ambaffadors  from  France 
prefented  to  the  council  thirty-four  articles  of  re- 
formation, v/hich  they  faid  were  ncceffary  for  other 
churche?,  as  well  as  theirs.  When  they  were  fent 
to  Rome,  the  pope,  on  the  firfl;  reading  ot  them, 
cried  out  that  they  meant  nothing  lefsthan  abolifli-, 
}ng  the  datary,  the  rota,  and  the  lordfhips,  and  ia 
(hort  the  whole  of  the  apoflolical  authority.  But 
Jie  was  given  to  underfland  that  if  they  granted  a- 
few  things  only,  fuch  as  the  Proteflants  moft  wifli- 
cd  for,  as  the  communion  in  both  kinds,  the  ufe  of 
the  vulgar  tongue,  and  the  marriage  of  the  priefts, 
the  reft  would  be  difpenfed  with. 

At  tlie  fame  time  the  legates  had  no  fmall  dif- 
ficulty with  refpe61;  to   the  emperor,   who  was  dif* 
pleafed  that   fo   little   progrefs  was   made  in  the 
council,   and   had   pr  ope  fed  for  difcuffion  by  his 
own  divines  feventeen  articles  relating  to  the  pow- 
er of  the  emperor  with  refpefl  to  councils,  and  this 
^ave  the  pope  no  lefs  difturbance  than  the  articles 
from  France.     But  hs  had  recourfe  to  diffimula- 
tiorl   to  parry  the  blow,  and  perceiving  that  both 
the  emperor  and  the  king  of  France  had  no  other 
views  in  the  council  than  their  own  convenience 
with  refpeft  to  their  Proteflant  fubje6ls,   whereas 
the  king  of  Spain  had  only  catholic  fubj e6ls,  he 
determined  to  attach  himfelf  to  him;  and  his  am- 
baflador  affured  him  that  he  would  maintain  his 
suithority.  The 


S6C  THE  HISTOHY  OF        Per.  XXII. 

The  legates  fintJing  much  difficulty  in  con- 
ducing the  council  at  fhis  time,  relieved  them- 
felves  a  little  by  propofing  for  condemnation  eight 
articles  maintained  by  the  Proteftants  relating  to 
marriage.  They  would  alfo  have  put  ofF  the 
fefsion.  which  had  been  fixed  for  the  22d  of  April, 
to  the  3d  of  fune,  but  they  were  over-ruled  by 
the  cardinal  of  Lorraine,  at  whofe  propofal  they 
agreed  to  meet  on  the  20th  of  May,  in  order  to 
fix  the  time  of  the  fefsion.  But  this  deference  to 
the  cardinal  difpleafed  the  pope,  who  rcmon- 
flrated  with  the  fecular  powers  on  their  condu6t 
with  refpeft  to  the  council ;  afTuring  them  that 
they  would  gain  nothing  with  their  Proteflant 
fubje£ls,  whofe  difcontents  arofe  chiefly  from  the 
abufes  of  the  civil  power ;  that  the  hindrances  of 
the  reformaiion  did  not  arife  from  him,  but  from 
the  princes,  and  the  prelates  of  the  council,  who 
could  not  agree  upon  the  articles. 

In  the  mean  time  the  king  of  France  having 
made  peace  with  his  Proteflant  fubje6ls,  which 
gave  great  offence  both  to  the  pope  and  the  king 
of  Spain,  took  little  interefl  in  the  affairs  of  the 
council  ;  and  the  cardinal  of  Lorraine  complained 
loudly  that  the  council  had  no  liberty,  but  that 
the  decifion  of  every  thing  came  from  Rome ;  and 
in  the  congregation  on  the  abufe  of  holy  orders  he 
inveighed  fo  vehemently  againfl  thofe  which  pre- 
vailed 


Sec.    IX.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  367 

vailed  in  France,  that  it  was  faid  he  fpoke  like  a 
Lutheran.  He  was,  however,  advifed  by  the 
queen  not  to  oppofe  the  meafures  of  the  pope  any 
farther  than  the  interells  of  his  own  country,  and 
his  own  honour  might  require.  His  prefence.'fhe 
faid,  was  more  n^ceffarjf  ki  France,  than  at  Trent'; 
and  on  this  it  was  obferved  that  he  ftudied  to 
oblige  the  pope  as  much  as  he  could. 

The  next   feffion    was   fixed   for  the  15th  of 
July,  and  in  the  mean  time  the  debates  about  the 
power  of  the  bifhops,  and  the  queftion  about  the 
fole  power  of  the  legates  to  propofe  quedions  in 
the  council,  led  to  no  conclufion  that    could  fatis- 
fy  any  party  ;  what  even  the  legates  agreed  to  the 
pope  rejedling.     And  at  length  the  emperor,  find- 
ing that  he  gained  nothing  by  his  neighbourhood 
to  the  council,  left  Infpruck  the  25th  of  June  and 
the  decree  was  drawn  up  in  fuch   a  manner  as  to 
avoid  what  was  moll  ofFenfive  to  all  parties,  declar- 
ing holy  orders  to  be  a  real  facrament,  imparting  an 
indelible  charafter,    that    bilhops  are  fuperior  to 
priefts,  and  have  the  fole  power  of  adminiflerinjr 
confirmation,  ordination  and  other  funftions.   The 
decree  of  reformation  related  to  refidence,  and  con- 
lifted  o{  eighteen  articles.     Thus  it  appeared  that 
after  ten  months  of  difpute  and   negociation  no- 
thing of  the  leaft  confequence  was  done  ;  all  the 
decrees  on  the  much  contefted  fubje^  of  refidence 

amounting 


3&a  THE  HISTORY  OF         Pc^.  XXII, 

amounting  to  no  more  than  that  it  was  a  fin  not  to 
refide  when  there  was  no  lawful  caufe  to  the  contrary. 
This  decilion  produced  an  open  rupture  between 
the  Spaniards  and  the  cardinal  ot  Lorraine,  who, 
they  faidjhad  broken  his  word  with  them,  and  had 
been  gained  by  the  pope. 

Tlie  pope  and  his  friends  having  found  fo 
much  difBeuky  in  the  management  oi  the  council, 
were  more  than  ever  intent  upon  putting  an  end  to 
it,  and  endeavoured  to  perfuade  the  princes  that 
all  their  attempts  to  gain  the  Proteflants  were  in 
vain,  that  they  ought  rather  to  keep  them  at  as 
great  a  diftance  as  poffibie,  that  all  fair  means  had 
been  tried  without  producing  any  efFeft,  and  that 
it  was  only  by  extreme  rigour  that  they  had  been 
fupprcffed  in  Spain.  He  added  that  he  fhould 
thmk  himfelf  more  obliged  to  them  to  affift  him 
in  putting  an  end  to  the  council,  than  if,  in  fome 
great  diftrefs,  they  had  lent  him  the  aid  of  their 
arms. 

In  order  to  avoid  difputes  on  fubje6ls  of  great- 
er difficulty,  the  members  of  the  council  proceed- 
ed in  the  next  place  to  confider  the  queftions  re- 
lating to  marri^fge,  when  it  was  univerfally  agreed 
to  maintain  the  celebacy  of  the  clergy,  but  they 
differed  much  on  other  points.  Among  the  ar- 
ticles of  reformation  for   this  fefiion,     they   had 

propofed 


Sec.  IX»       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.       3(55 

propofed  fome  relating  to  the  princes,  but  they  were 
perluaded  to  drop  them.  Their  great  difficulty- 
was  to  fatisfy  the  bifhops,  who  wifhed  to  have  more 
power  in  their  diocefes,  and  yet  to  fecure  the  re- 
venues of  the  court  of  Rome  ;  and  they  fuccecded 
in  fome  meafure  by  giving  the  bifhops  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  cures,  on  the  pretence  of  examining 
their  qualifications;  but  the  bifhops  could  not  fuc- 
ceed  in  getting  the  monafleries  to  depend  upon 
them  as  in  former  times. 

At  this  time  the  cardinal  of  Lorraine  paid  a 
vifit  to  tlie  pope,  by  whom  he  v\ras  received  with 
every  mark  of  refpeft  ;  and  finding  his  intereft  to 
be  the  fame  with  that  of  the  pope,  who  hinted  to 
him  that  it  was  his  wifh  that  he  fhould  be  his  fuc- 
ceffor,  he  joined  heartily  with  the  pope  in  his  en- 
deavours to  bring  the  council  to  a  termination  ; 
and  he  perfuaded  the  pope  that  it  would  be  better 
to  do  this  by  difTolution  than  by  fufpenfion.  "  It 
"  is  abfolutely  necefTary,"  faid  the  pope,  "toclofe 
*'  the  council,  and  raife  money.  After  that  it  will 
*'  be  as  pleafes  God." 

The  immunities  of  the  clergy,  and  other  arti- 
cles of  reformation  which  tended  to  abridge  the 
power  of  the  princes,  being  propofed  for  reforma- 
tion, met  with  a  violent  oppofition,  efpecially  from 
the  ambafTadors  from  France,  who  at  length  en- 
tered a  protefl  againfl  them,  and  left  the  council. 

Vol..  V.  A  a  They 


^jQ  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 

They  maintained  that  the  authority  of  the  kings 
of  France  over  the  perfons  and  goods  of  the  clergy 
was  not  founded  on  the  Pragmatic  fan£lion,  the 
Concordat,  or  the  conceffions  of  the  popes,  but  on 
the  law  of  nature,  the  fcriptures,  antient  councils, 
and  the  laws  of  chriftian  emperors.  And,  on  the 
remonftrance  of  all  the  ambafladors,  the  articles 
for  the  reformation  of  princes  were  omitted. 

From  this  time  the  views  of  all  pardes  were 
united  in  a  refolution  to  put  an  end  to  the  coun- 
cil as  fpeedily  as  poffible  j  and  for  this  purpofe  the 
pope  fent  his  inftruftions,  dire6ling  his  legates  to 
eonfult  with  the  cardinal  of  Lorraine,  who,  he  faid, 
was  fully  informed  concerning  his  wifhrs.  He 
alfo  piefcribed  the  form  in  which  they  Ihould  con- 
clude. They  were  to  confirm  all  that  had  been 
done  in  the  council  in  the  time  of  his  predecef- 
fors,  but  with  a  faving  of  the  authority  of  the  holy 
fee,  and  a  reference  to  himfelf  tor  the  confirmation 
of  the  whole. 

The  next  feflion  was  held  the  nth  of  Novem- 
ber, and  in  this  fome  decrees  were  paffed  relating 
to  marriage,  when  all  clandefline  marriages  were 
declared  to  be  annulled,  tho*  fifty  fix  bifhops  ex- 
prelTed  their  diffent.  Alfo  twenty  one  articles  of 
reformation  about  vacancies  in  churches,  plurali- 
ties, provincial  councils,  and  other  fubje6ls,  con- 
cluding with  an  explanation  of  the  phrafe  propo^ 

nentibus 


Sec.  IX.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      3^1 

tientibus  legatis,  by  which  it  was  declared  that  it 
was  not  the  intention  of  the  coTincil  to  depart  from 
the  antient  forms,  and  the  cuftom  of  other  general 
councils.  On  this  occafion  the  cardinal  of  Lor- 
ra'ne  declared,  in  the  name  of  the  clergy  of  France, 
that  he  accepted  the  decrees  of  reformation  as  a 
ftep  to  a  more  complete  reform,  which  he  expedl- 
ed  from  the  pope,  either  by  his  reviving  the  antient 
canons,  or  holding  other  general  councils  ;  and 
he  had  his  proted  entered  in  the  public  a6ls.  This 
proteft  gave  as  much  offence  to  the  zealous  ca- 
tholics as  tliofe  made  by  Luther.  The  decrees 
of  this  fefiion  were  much  cenfured,  and  the  expla- 
nation of  the  claufe  legatis  prjoponentibiis  was  ri- 
diculed, as  being  contrary  to  whit  was  wellknawn 
to  be  fa6t,  an  innovation  having  been  aftuaily 
made. 

For  the  laft  feflion  decrees  were  prepared  con- 
cerning purgatory,  indulgences,  the  invocation  of 
faints,  and  the  worfhip  of  relics,  and  of  images  ; 
and  for  an  article  of  reformation  they  chofe  fome 
regulations  concerning  the  monks  and  nuns.  In 
fome  of  the  congregations  they  dilcuffed  the  bufi- 
nefs  of  an  Index  Expurgatorius,  the  catechifm,  and 
the  ritual.  At  this  time  the  cardinal  de  Luna 
from  Spain  prefented  a  memorial,  complaining  that 
nothing  was  done  about  the  principal  matters  for 

Aa2  '   which 


3r2  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 

which  the  council  had  been  called,  and  that  every 
thing  elfe  had  been  precipitated ;  but  no  regard  was 
paid  to  his  remonflrance. 

Another  circumftance  which  haftened  the  diflb- 
lution  of  the  council  was  the  ficknefs  of  the  pope, 
the  greater  part  of  the  prelates,  as  well  as  the  pope 
himfelf,  being  defirous  that  another  Ihould  be 
chofen  in  the  ufual  manner  without  the  interven- 
tion of  the  council ;  while  thofe  from  France  de- 
clared that  their  mafter  would  acknowledge  no 
pope  who  fhould  not  be  cholen  by  it.  In  this 
flate  of  things  they  anticipated  the  next  feflion, 
fixing  it  for  the  3d  of  December,  and  declared  that 
it  Ihould  be  the  laft,  and  that  it  (hould  continue 
two  days.  The  decrees  on  the  fubjeds  propofed 
were  numerous,  but  not  of  fulEcient  confequence 
to  be  recited  here,  and  every  thing  relating  to  the 
Index  expurgatorius,  the  catechifm,  and  the  brevi- 
ary, were  referred  to  the  pope,  as  well  as  the  con- 
firmation of  all  that  had  been  done.  They  alfo 
recited  the  decrees  which  had  been  paffed  in  the 
pontificate  of  Paul  III  and  Juhus  III,  in  order  to 
preferve  the  unity  of  the  council  fron^  .the  be- 
ginning. 

When  this  xvas  done,  the  prefident  granted  a 
plenary  indulgence,  and  his  benediftion,  to  all 
who  had  afhlled  in  that  feflion,  and  difmilTed  them. 
Then  the  cardinal  of  Lorraine  began  the  ufual  ac- 
clamation 


Sec.    IX.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        373 

clamations,  cxpreffive  of  their  joy  at  the  happy  ter- 
mination of  the  council ;  wifhing  long  life  and 
glory  to  the  pope,  eternal  happinefs  to  Paul  III, 
and  Julius  III,  bleffing  the  memory  of  Charles  V, 
and  the  other  princes  who  had  favoured  the  coun- 
cil ;  prailing  the  faith  of  this  council,  as  that  of  St. 
Peter,  of  the  Fathers,  &c.  &c.  and  anathematizing 
all  heretics  in  general.  In  the  lafl;  place,  all  the 
members  of  the  council  figned  the  decrees  with 
their  own  hands  ;  when  there  appeared  to  be  four 
legates,  two  cardinals,  three  patriarchs,  twenty  five 
archbifhops,  one  hundred  and  fixty  eight  bifhops, 
feven  abbots,  thirty  nine  deputies  of  abfent  bifhops, 
and  feven  generals  of  orders. 

The  pope,  who  was  recovered  from  his  illnefs, 
exprefTed  his  joy  on  the  termination  of  the  council 
by  a  folemn  proceflion,  and  gave  his  confirmation 
to  the  decrees,  referving  to  himfelf  the  interpre- 
tation of  them.  This  cloiing  of  the  council  gave 
little  fatisfaftion  to  the  king  of  Spain  ;  and  the  de- 
crees of  reformation  were  fcverely  cenfured  in 
France,  as  infringing  on  the  rights  of  the  crown, 
and  the  liberties  of  the  Galilean  church.  Both 
the  decrees  themfelves,  and  the  manner  in  which 
the  whole  buhnefs  had  been  condu6led,  were 
treated  with  much  ridicule    by    the  catholics   in 

A  a  3  Geriainy 


374  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

Germany  and    other  places,   and  the    Proteftants 
gave  little  attention  to  them. 

Thus,  at  length,  this  great  council,  fo  earncflly 
•called  for  to  promote  the  unity  of  the  church, 
and  the  reformation  of  abufes,  was  terminated, 
without  producing  any  efFeft  of  thfe  former  kmd, 
and  but  little  of  the  latter  ;  and  by  the  dexterous 
management  of  the  popes,  it  ferved  to  flrengthen, 
rather  than  diminifh,  their  authority.  The  man- 
ner in  which  the  decrees  were  received  even  in 
Spain  fhows  that,  without  the  fan£lion  of  the 
royal  authority  they  would  not  have  been  bind- 
ing, which  gave  little  fatisfadtion  at  Rome ;  and 
all  the  endeavours  oi  that  court  could  never  pro- 
cure the  decrees  of  reformation  to  be  received  in 
f Vance. 


SECTION 


Sec.  X.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         375 


SECTION  X. 


Of  the  Reformation  in  Sxuiizerland» 


I 


.T  is  not  my  intention  to  give  fo  parti- 
cular a  hiftory  of  the  introduftion  of  the  reformati- 
on into  the  other  ftates  of  Europe,  and  the  progrefs 
that  it  made  in  them,  as  I  have  done  with  refpeft 
to  Germany,  where  it  originated;  but  I  (hall  give 
a  general  idea  of  the  moft  important  circumflances 
with  refpeft  to  them  all. 

It  has  been  feen  that  the  reformation  in 
Switzerland  was  of  as  early  a  date  as  in  Ger- 
many, Zuinglius  having  diflinguiOied  himfelf  as 
a  reformer  as  foon  as  Luther,  tho'  his  hiftory  does 
not  make  fo  great  a  figure  ;  and  his  ideas  of  the 
eucharill  were  certainly  more  juft,  and  farther  re- 
moved from  thofe  of  the  catholics,  than  thofe  of 
Luther.  In  other  refpedts  it  does  not  appear  that 
their  fentiments  were  materially  different.  His 
general  hiftory  being  given  in  that  of  Luther,  it  is 
only  neceffary  to  add  a  more  particular  account  of 
his  death,  efpecially  as  the  circumflances  of  it  have 
been  olten  reprefented  to  his  difadvantage. 

A  34  When 


ZTQ  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXII, 

When  the  people  of  Zurich  were  fo  much  of- 
fended at  the  infolence  with  which  hey  were 
treated  by  the  catholic  cantons,  that,  unable  to  ob- 
tain any  redrefs,  they  forbad  all  commerce  with 
them,  and  were  proceeding  to  other  a6ls  of  hofti- 
lity,  Zuinglius  remonftrated  againft  fuch  conduti, 
and  earneflJy  exhorted  them  to  bear  every  thing 
with  patience,  as  became  chriftians,  but  without 
efFedl  [Ritchat,  Vol.  3,  p.  351)  and  at  length  mu- 
tual provocations  brought  on  a  war.  Then  by 
the  order  of  the  magi ftrates,  who  expe6led  much 
from  the  influence  that  Zuinglius  would  have 
with  the  foldiers,  he  accompanied  the  army,  as  it 
was  the  cuftom  for  the  clergy  to  do.  They  always 
wore  armour  on  thefe  occafions,  but  were  not  re- 
quired to  ufe  it,  except  for  neceflary  felf  defence, 
their  bufinefs  being  to  exhort  the  troops,  and  af- 
ford them  all  the  I'pi ritual  affiitance  that  their  cir- 
cumflances  might  require. 

It  was  evident  that  Zuinglius,  who  difap- 
proved  of  the  war,  expetled  a  fatal  termination  of 
it,  and  during  the  march  he  fpoke  as  a  man  deflin- 
ed  to  die.  The  battle,  which  was  fought-at  Cap- 
pele  in  a.  d.  1531,  was  ill  conduded^  and  the 
Zurichers  completely  defeated.  Zuinglius  was 
found  by  the  enemy  wounded,  but  not  mortally  ; 
and  not  being  known  v/as  ofFered  his  life  if  he 
would  recite  feme  catholic  prayers  ;  but.  relufing 

to 


Sec.  X.       THE  CHRIS'lIAN  CHURCH.        377 

to  do  this  be  was  killed  outright,  and  he  died  in 
as  pious  and  edifying  a  manner,  as  the  circumflanc- 
es  of  his  death  would  permit.  The  lafl  words 
he  uttered  were,  that  "  men  might  kill  the  body, 
"  but  could  not  kill  the  foul."  This  was  in  the 
forty  eighth  year  of  his  age.  When  his  body  was 
known,  it  was  treated  with  the  greateft  indignity, 
being  quartered,  and  burned  together  with  a  hog  ; 
that  if  any  attempt  fhould  be  made  to  gather  his 
afhes,  they  might  not  be  diflinguifhed. 

After  a  war  deftruftive  to  both  parties,  but 
more  particularly  fo  to  the  reformed,  peace  was 
made  on  terms  ot  the  mutual  toleration  of  religion, 
all  their  political  relations  remaining  as  befoie. 

Next  to  the  people  of  Zurich,  thofe  of  Berne 
were  the  mod  zealous  and  a6live  in  promoting 
the  reformation.  The  altars  and  images  were  re- 
moved from  all  the  churches  in  the  ellates  of  Berne 
by  order  of  the  magillrates  in  a.  d.  1536,  and  the 
exercife  of  the  catholic  religion  was  ftridly  forbid- 
den under  heavy  penalties.  Thofe  who  profeffed 
it  were,  hov/ever, 'allowed  to  fell  their  efFe6is,  and 
retire  whither  they  pleafed.  While  the  Genevans 
were  catholics,  they  entered  very  little  into  their 
interefls,  but  efpoufcd  their  caufe  with  warmth 
when  they  difcovered  an  inclination  to  adopt  their 
religion. 

In  3532,  which  was  four  years  after  they  had 
A  a  5  publicly 


57S  THE  Ills  TORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

publicly  embraced  the  reformation,  refle6ling  on 
the  difficulties  they  had  met  with,  they  held  a  fo- 
lemn  fynod,  at  which  two  hundred  and  thirty  mi- 
nifters  attended;  and  then  they  made  many  regu- 
lations which  were  drawn  up  in  proper  form  by 
Capito,  who  attended  from  Strafburgh.  But,  un- 
fortunately, they  began  with  laying  it  down  as  a 
maxim,  that  nothing  could  be  done  efFedually 
without  the  co-operation  of  the  civil  power,  as  the 
miniflers  of  God  for  the  prefervation  of  doftrine 
and  difcipline  in  the  church;  and  that  it  was  part  of 
^bcir  office  to  punifh  blafphemy,  as  well  as  open 
fins,  as  they  would  be  anfwerable  for  their  condu£l 
at  the  tribunal  of  God. 

*•  It  is  objeded,"  they  fay  in  their  public  aft, 
*'  that  it  was  erefling  a  new  papacy  for  the  magif- 
*' trates  to  interfere  in  matters  of  faith"  ?  To  this 
they  anfwer  that  "  it  would  be  true,  if  the  ma- 
"  giftrates  ffiould  violate  the  rights  of  confcience, 
'*  and  take  away  chriflian  liberty  ;  but  that  this 
*'  cannot  be  while  theii  only  care  is  that  the  truth 
*'  be  clearly  preached,  and  men  be  exhorted  to 
*'  piety  ;"  not  confidering  that,  in  fetting-  them- 
felves  up  forjudges  of  truth,  and  obliging  others 
to  conform  to  their  ftandard,  they  necelTarily  in- 
fringed the  rights  of  their  confciences.  The  de- 
crees oi  this  tynod  were  confirmed  by  the  magi{- 
trates,  who  promifed  to  enforce  them  by  their  au- 
thority 


Sec.  X.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*       379 

thority.  At  the  fame  time,  however,  they  pro- 
feffed  their  readinefs  to  receive  any  propofals  for 
improvement,  as  thev  faid  they  wifhed  to  give  free 
courfe  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  Anabaptifts  gave  them  frequent  oppor- 
tunities to  carry  their  perfecuting  maxims  into  ex- 
ecution. Several  of  this  perfuafion  having  return- 
ed from  banifliment,with  which  they  fiift  punifhed 
them,  were  drowned,  according  to  another  decree 
which  they  made  lor  that  purpofe.  In  a.  d.  1533, 
they  made  a  new  law  only  forbidding  their  preach- 
ing, but  ordered  that,  in  cafe  of  difobedience,  they 
fhould  be  confined  for  life,  and  fed  on  bread  and 
water.  But  this  being  thought  too  tolerant,  they 
farther  ordered  that  all  Anabaptifts  fhould  attend 
divine  fervice,  and  have  their  children  baptized; 
that  in  cafe  of  non  attendance  they  fhould  for  the 
firft  offence  be  imprifoned  a  day  and  a  night,  for 
the  fecond  two  days.  They  alfo  ordered  that  any 
other  perfons  who  neglefted  to  attend  public  wor- 
fhip  and  receiving  the  Lord's  Supper  fhould  be 
puniflied  in  the  fame  manner. 

Two  other  great  prom^jters  of  the  reformation 
in  Switzerland  were  Henry  Biillin^er,  and  Wil- 
liam Farel.  Bullinger  was  bom  at  Bremgarte,  in 
A.  D.  1502,  and  ftudied  at  Cologne,  where  read- 
ing the  books  of  Luther,  he  embraced  the  refor- 
mation 


;380  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXIL 

mation.  He  returned  to  his  own  country  in 
A.  D.  1525,  and  promoted  the  reformation  in  the 
freeballiages  of  Switzerland.  He  was  fix  years  a  lec- 
turer in  theology  in  a  monaftery  near  the  lake  of 
Zurich,  and  preached  in  feveral  churches  in  the 
country. 

But  no  man  after  Zuinglius  contributed  fo 
much  to  the  reformatiou  of  many  places  in  Swit- 
zerland as  William  Farel,  He  was  born  of  wealthy 
parents  at  Gap  in  Dauphine  in  a.  d.  1489,  and 
Iludied  at  Paris.  Flying  from  the  perfecution  in 
France,  he  came  to  Strafburg  in  a.  d.  1523, 
where  he  became  acquainted  with  Capito  and  Bu- 
cer.  In  a.  d.  1524  he  came  to  Bafil,  where  he 
publifhed  feme  thefes  in  favour  of  the  reformation; 
and  tho'  favoured  by  the  magiflratcs,  the  clergy 
at  length  compelled  him  to  leave  that  city.  In  a.d. 
1526  he  was  at  Montbelliard,  and  the  greater  part 
of  a.  d.  1522  at  Aigle,  and  thence  he  went  to 
Morat. 

In  a.  d.  1532  Farel  went  to  Geneva,  but  was 
foon  obliged  to  leave  that  city.  He  was,  however, 
fucceeded  by  Froment,  a  man  of  equal  zeal,  and 
equally  indefatigable;  and  by  the  labours  of  thefe 
two  men  (for  Farel  foon  returned)  joined  v.^ith 
thofe  of  Viret,  the  reformation  was  publicly  re- 
ceived in  Geneva  in  a.  d.  1535.  In  confequence 
of  this  the  citizens  were  expofed  to  great  difficul- 
ties 


Sec.     X.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     G8t 

ties  from  tfce  oppofition  and  defertion  of  many 
of  the  citizens,  and  the  open  hoftility  of  their 
bifhop  and  the  duke  of  Savoy.  But  they  were 
eflFeftually  fupported  by  the  people  of  Berne. 
When  their  troubles  were  over,  they  carried  their 
fcheme  of  reformation  into  complete  effeft,  but 
in  fuch  a  manner  as  to  bear  hard  on  the  confcien- 
tious  catholics,  chiefly  at  the  inftance  of  Farel. 

When  every  thing  relating  to  the  reformation 
at  Geneva  was  fettled,  John  Calvin  pafling  through 
that  city  was  detained  there  by  Farel.  This  emi- 
nent man  was  born  July  the  loth  a.  d.  1509,  at 
Noyon  in  Picardy,  of  an  honourable  family,  and 
in  good  circumflances.  He  was  educated  at  Paris, 
and  being,  on  account  of  his  early  piety,  deflined 
for  the  church,  his  father  procured  for  him  a  be- 
nefice in  the  cathedral  of  Noyon,  when  he  was 
only  twelve  years  old,  and  five  or  fix  years  after  a 
curacy  in  the  village  from  which  the  family  fprung, 
and  where  he  fometimes  preached,  tho'  without 
having  taken  orders.  Both  the  father  and  the  fon 
having  embraced  the  reformation,  Calvin  applied 
to  the  ftudy  of  the  law  at  Orleans,  and  in  this  he 
diftinguifhed  himfelf,  tho'  his  favourite  fludy  was 
theology,  and  with  this  view  he  learned  both 
Greek  and  Hebrew. 

On  the  death  of  his  father  in  a.  d.  1533,  Cal- 
vin went  to  Paris,    where  becoming  acquainted 

with 


sas  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

with  fome  eminent  reformers,  he  devoted  himfelf 
wholly  to  the  fame  objeft  with  them.  Being  oblig- 
ed to  leave  Paris,  he  went  to  Nerac,  but  returned 
in  A.  D.  1534,  tho'  he  kept  himfelf  concealed  on 
account  of  the  perfecution  of  the  reformed.  There 
too  he  became  arquainted  with  Servetus,  whom 
he  afterwards  procured  to  be  burned  alive  at 
Geneva.  The  violence  of  the  perfecution  increaf- 
ing,  Calvin  retped  to  Strafburg,  alter  publifhing 
at  Orleans  a  treatife  to  prove  that  the  foul  does 
not  fleep  from  the  time   of  death  to  the  refurrec- 

tion. 

At  Strafburgh  Calvin  became  acquainted  with 
Grynaeus  and  Capito,  and  there  he  publifhed  his 
Jnfiitutions  of  the  Chrijlian  Religion,  a  work  much 
admired  to  this  day  for  the  excellence  of  its  lan- 
guage and  method,  and  which  he  dedicated  to 
Francis  1.  From  Strafburgh  he  went  to  Italy,  to 
fee  the  dutchefs  of  Fcrrara,  the  daugther  of  Lewis 
XII,  whom  he  confirmed  in  the  principles  of  the 
reformation,  and  who  always  retained  a  particular 
refpeft  for  him.  In  a,  d.  1536  he  returned  to 
France,  and  intending  to  fettle  at  Strafburgh,  or 
Bafil,  he  came  to  Geneva,  where  he  was  perfua- 
ded  by  Farel  to  flay  and  labour  with  him  and  his 
companions  there.  He  was  prefently  made  pro- 
feffor  of  theology,  and  afterwards  paftor,  being 
then  twenty  feven  years  of  age.     From  this  time 

he 


Sec.  XL     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        383 

he  continued  twenty  eight  years  at  Geneva,  in  all 
which  time  his  labours  in  preaching,  and  writing, 
were  inceUant,  tho*  his  conftitution  was  weak  ; 
and  his  influence  with  the  magiftrates  feems  to 
have  been  very  great. 


SECTION  XL 

Of  the  Reformation  in  the  Low  Countries. 


A: 


,S  the  people  in  Low  countries  dif- 
tinguiflied  themfelves  by  their  application  to  ma* 
nufaclures  and  commerce  rpore  than  any  other 
people  in  Europe,  a  long  time  before  the  reforma- 
tion, we  are  not  furprized  to  find  many  inquifitive 
perfons  among  them.  About  the  end  of  the  fif- 
teenth century  fome  of  the  clergy,  as  WeUel  of 
Groningen,  John  of  Amftcrdam,  John  Van 
Gooch,  and  fome  others,  attacked  various  errors 
of  the  church  of  Rome.  The  laft  mentioned  of 
thefe  openly  maintained  that  the  writings  of  Tho- 
mas   Aquinas,  and    the    other   fchoolmen,  were 

fitter 


^U  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.   XXIL 

fitter  to  darken  the  truth  than  to  difcover  it,  that 
the  fcriptures  were  the  only  rule  of  faith,  and  that 
the  dfcrees  of  popes  and  of  councils  ought  to  be 
judged  by  that  rule.     Brandt,  Vol.  i,  p.  12. 

The  doftrine  of  Luther  fpread  fo  early,  and  fo 
much  in  the  Low  Countries,  that  in  a.  d.  1521, 
a  placard  was  publifhed  by  Charles  V  to  flop  its 
progrefs.  In  this  it  was  faid  that  Luther  was  not  a 
human  creature,  but  a  devil  in  the  fhape  of  a  man, 
and  the  habit  of  a  monk,  that  he  might  the  more 
calily  occalion  the  death  and  deflruftion  of  man- 
kind. 

The  year  following,  G.  Grapheus,  a  man  of 
learning,  and  a  great  friend  of  Erafmus,  was  fen- 
tenced  to  perpetual  imprifonment  for  the  freedom 
of  his  writings  ;  and  in  the  fame  year  Henrv  Vocs, 
and  John  Efli  were  burned  alive  at  Antwerp,  as 
was  m>entioned  before  ;  and  from  this  time,  fays 
Erafmus,  the  doQrine  of  Luther  began  to  be  in 
vogue  in  that  city.  The  nuns  of  Holland,  he 
fays,  ran  from  their  convents,  and  mofl  of  the  in- 
habitants of  Holland,  Zealand,  and  Flanders  em- 
braced the  do6lrine  of  Luther;  and  notwithlland- 
ing  the  execution  of  Voes  and  Eih  at  Antwerp, 
the  Lutherans  continued  to  hold  their  affemblies 
v/ithout  the  ivalls  of  that  city.  In  thefe  circum- 
flances  Margaret  daughter  of  the  emperor  Maxi- 
milian,  governefs   of  the    Low    Countries,   very 

wifir 


Sec.   XI.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.         38J 

wifely  exhorted  the  monks  to  admit  none  into 
their  pulpits  but  learned  and  prudent  perfons,  who 
would  tell  no  idle  flories  ;  and  flie  particularly- 
enjoined  them  not  to  make  any  mention  of  Luther 
in  their  fennons. 

In  A.  D.  1527  the  do6lrine  of  the  Anabaptifts 
began  to  fpread  in  the  Low  Countries,  and 
John  Waden  and  two  other  perfons  were  the  lirft 
of  this  fe6t  who  faffered  death  for  it.  They  were 
burned  with  a  flow  fire  at  the  Hague.  Some  of 
this  denomination  were  afterwards  guilty  of  great 
diforders,  efpecially  about  the  time  that  Muncer 
appeared  in  Germany. 

In  A.  D.  1531  Margaret  dying,  Mary,  the 
emperor's  filler,  was  made  governefs  of  the  Low 
Countries.  She  was  a  lover  of  learning,  and  dif- 
pofed  to  moderation,  but  fhe  could  not  prevent 
the  perfecution  of  the  reformers.  In  a.  d.  1533 
the  courts  of  judicature  finding  that  the  reforma- 
tion fpread  in  confequence  of  the  public  execution 
of  thofe  who  were  condemned  to  death,  reprefent- 
ed  to  her  that  it  would  be  better  to  have  the  exe- 
cutions private,  and  fhe  allowed  them  to  a6l  as 
they  thought  bell.  In  a.  d.  1536  William  Tin- 
dal,  who  had  tranflated  the  bible  into  Englifh, 
was  apprehended  at  Antwerp,  and  burned  on  that 
account. 

Vol.  V.  Bb  The 


3S6  tHE  HISTORY^OP        Per.  XXIL 

The  Anabaptifts  being  every  where  more  obnox- 
ious than  any  other  of  the  reformers,a  man  was  put 
to  death  in  a.  d,  1539  for  only  harbouring  Menno 
Simons,  a  leader  of  that  fe6l,  and  from  whom  all 
of  that  perfuafion  in  that  country  were  afterwards 
called  Mennonites.  He  was  a  man  of  learning,  at 
firft  a  Romifh  prieft,  and  a  great  oppofer  of  the 
Anabaptifls,  tho'  he  joined  them  afterwards*  In 
A.  D.  1543,  a  reward  of  one  hundred  florins  was 
offered  to  any  perfon  who  would  apprehend  Men- 
no. 

In  A.  D.  1540  the  emperor,  arriving  in  the 
Low  Countries  to  fupprefs  an  infuneftion  at 
Ghent,  publilhed  a  violent  placard  againft  both 
the  Lutherans  and  the  Anabaptifts,  which  was 
followed  by  a  great  perfecution.  One  of  the  moft 
diftinguifhed  of  the  martyrs  in  the  Low  Countries 
at  this  time  was  Angelus  Merula,  who  had  taken 
orders  at  Utrecht.  Being  old,  and  much  efleem- 
ed  for  his  learning,  probity,  charity,  and  eloquence, 
tho'  the  inquifitors  were  very  defirous  of  having 
him  burned,  they  for  a  long  time  did  not  venture 
to  do  it,  for  fear  of  the  people.  They  therefore, 
continued  to  deceive  him  into  a  feeming  abjuration 
of  his  opinions,  when  he  meant  no  luch  thing. 
This  lofing  him  the  afFeftion  of  the  people  he  was 
apprehended,  and  condemned  to  the  flames;    but 

while 


Sf.c.  XL   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        iBT 

while  he  was  kneeling  down  to  pray  before  his  ex- 
ecution, being  extremely  feeble,  he  fell  down,  and 
was  taken  up  dead.  He  had  been  in  a  flate  ot 
perfecution  five  years,  the  greater  part  of  which 
he  had  paffed  in  prifon,  where  he  experienced  the 
moft  cruel  ^ufage. 

In  A.  D.  1559  Philip  II  left  the  Low  Coun- 
tries, and  went  to  Spain,  where  the  reformation 
had  begun  to  make  fome  progrefs,  leaving  his  na- 
tural filler  Margaret,  dutchefs  of  Parma,  govern- 
efs,  with  orders  to  extirpate  all  herefy.  The  fame 
llrift  orders  were  given  to  the  governors  of  all  the 
provinces ;  and  from  this  time  the  perfecution 
raged  with  peculiar  violence,  and  being  accompa- 
nied with  oppreffion  in  civil  matters,  did  not  end 
but  with  the  lofs  of  thefe  provinces  to  Spain. 


Bb2  SECTION 


388  THE  HISTORY  OF      Peb.XXII. 


SECTION  XII. 


Of  the  Reformation  in  Spain, 


T 


HE  overbearing  power  of  the  court 
of  Spain,  and  the  rigour  of  the  inquiCtion,  foon 
fuppreffed  the  reformation  in  that  country  ;  but 
notwithftanding  this  Spain  can  boafl  of  its  Proteft 
ant  martyrs,  and  many,  no  doubt,  there  vvere,whom 
we  have  not  at  prefent  any  means  of  difcovpring. 

The  firft  perfon  that  fufFered  martyrdom  in 
Spain  for  being  a  Proteftant  was  Nicolas  Burton, 
an  Englifh  fa£lor.  He  was  burned  at  Seville  in 
the  reign  of  queen  Mary.  All  his  goods  and  notes 
were  feized,  and  the  perfon  fent  to  claim  them  was 
imprifoned  on  the  fufpicion  of  herefy,  Geddes's 
Tra^s,  Vol,  i,  p.  456. 

fn  A.  D.  1558  Auguftin  Cazala,  who  had 
been  feveral  years  chaplain  and  preacher  to  Charles 
V  in  Germany,  alter  undergoing  the  cruelties  of 
the  inquifition,  in  which  his  mother  died,  was 
burned  together  with  three  more,  on  account  of 
his  faith. 

At 


Sec.  XII.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      389 

At  the  fame  time  with  Cazala  was  burned  He- 
rezulo,  who  had  been  his  convert.  He  was  an 
eminent  lawyer.  A  perfon  who  was  prefent  at 
his  execution  faid,  "  I  obferved  all  his  geftures 
(for  he  could  not  fpeak,  having  his  mouth  gagged) 
*'  but  I  could  not  difcover  the  leaft  fign  of  unea- 
*'  finefs  in  him."  After  feveral  years  imprifon. 
ment  his  mother  alfo  v/as  burned,  and  fufFeied,  it 
is  faid,  with  as  much  fortitude  as  if  fhe  had  been 
made  of  ftone,  and  had  not  been  flefh  and  blood. 
There  alfo  was  burned  Dr.  Perez,  a  fecular  prieft 
of  great  learning,  and  exemplary  piety.  Soon  after 
don  Carlos  de  Sefo,  a  nobleman  of  an  illuftriou* 
family,  was  burned  with  forty  others,  one  of  them, 
John  Sancho,  who  had  been  a  fervant  of  Cazala. 
**  Thefe,"  fays  the  writer  of  the  Pontifical,  <'  en- 
*'  dured  burning  alive  with  a  courage  that  afto- 
«'  nifhed  all  that  beheld  them."  Don  John  Egidio 
another  favourite  preacher  of  Charles  V,  and  who 
had  been  nominated  to  the  bifhopric  of  Tortofa, 
died  in  the  inquifition,  and  was  afterwards  burned 
as  an  impenitent  heretic. 

Conllantio  Pontio,  chaplain,  and  as  fome  fay 
confeflbr,  to  Charles  V,  and  appointed  by  him  to 
attend  his  fon  to  Flanders,  as  the  moft  learned 
man,  and  the  moft  eloquent  preacher,  in  Spain, 
alfo  died  in  the  prifon  of  the  inquilition  ;  and  his 
body,  together  with  feveral  of  his  writings,  were 
B  b  3  burned 


SgO  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

burned  at  an  a6l  of  faith.  When  Charles  heard 
that  Conftantio  was  taken  up  as  a  heretic,  he  faid 
that  if  he  was  one,  he  was  not  an  ordinary  one,  al- 
luding to  his  great  learning  and  piety. 

The  monaftery  of  St.  Ilidore  was  a  great  femi- 
nary  of  Proteftantifm  in  Spain.  Five  monks  were 
taken  from  it  and  burned,  and  twelve  made  their 
efcape  from  it  to  Geneva.  D.  Geddes  gives  an  ac- 
count of  feveral  more  whofe  fufferings  were  well 
deferving  of  being  recorded,  and  adds,  that  they 
were  but  a  fmall  part  of  the  glorious  army  of  Spa- 
nifh  martyrs,  who  were  burned  by  the  inquifition, 
and  who  for  the  exemplary  piety  of  their  lives, 
and  their  admirable  patience  and  courage,  trium- 
phed over  death  in  the  mod  dreadful  of  all  its 
forms,  not  inferior  to  the  martyrs  of  any  other  na- 
tion, or   any  age.     SpaniJJi  Prottjiant  Mariyrolo- 

It  is  fomething  remarkable  that  many  of  the 
great  perfecutors,  both  of  Chriftians  and  Protefl- 
ants,  have  either  come  to  untimely  end,  or  have 
fuffered  in  feme  other  exemplary  manner.  Philip 
II  may  be  added  to  thofe  that  are  enumerated  by 
Laftantius  in  his  treatife  De  Mortibus  Perftaitoncm. 
He  had  been  feized  with  a  hedic  fever,  which  re- 
duced him  very  much,  when  he  was  attacked  with 
a  violent  fit  of  the  gout,  on  St.  John's  eve.  The 
aciimony  of  the  juices  produced  an  abfcefs  which 

firfl: 


Sec.   XII.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     591 

firft  broke  out  at  his  knee,  and  then  in  feveral  parts 
of  his  body  ;  and  horn  thefe  abfcefles  ifTued  fwarms 
of  lice,  which  could  not  be  removed.  He  was 
alfo  difeafed  in  feveral  other  ways.  The  purulent 
matter  from  his  ulcers  exhaled  fuch  a  flench,  that 
the  fervants  who  attended  him  were  infefted  by 
it.  He  was  infupportable  to  himfelf,  and  died  in 
the  moll  agonizing  paia,     Laval,  Vol.  5,  p.  318. 


SECTION   XIII. 

OJ  the  Reformation  in  France. 


T 


HE  difputes  about  indulgences  in 
Germany  did  not  pafs  unnoticed  in  France,  efpe- 
cially  after  the  cenfure  of  the  writings  of  Luther 
by  the  Sorbonne  ;  and  the  reformation  received 
much  countenance  from  William  Briffonet  bifhop 
of  Meaux,  who,  tho'  it  was  then  unufual,  preach- 
ed himfelf;  and  befides  this,  employed  feveral 
learned  men,  and  of  excellent  charadcrs,  to  preach 
in  his  diocefe.  Of  this  number  were  James  Fa- 
ber,  and  William  Farel,  who  fo  greatly  promoted 
the  reformation  in  Switzerland.  By  this  means 
B  b  4  the 


i02  THE  HIS  TORY  OF        Per.XXH. 

the  reformation  fpread  in  Meaux,tho' chiefly  among 
the  lower  orders  of  the  people.  Of  thefe  John 
Le  Clerc,  a  carder,  was  in  a.  d.  1523  fentenced 
to  be  whipped  and  branded  in  the  forehead,  and 
after  this  he  was  burned  alive  at  Metz  in  a.  d, 
1524.  Many  others  fufFcred  in  the  fame  man- 
ner, and,  terrified  probably  by  thefe  examples, 
the  good  bilhop,  tho'a  friend  to  the  reformation, 
proceeded  no  farther.  This  cruelty,  however, 
did  not  put  a  flop  to  the  progrefs  of  the  reforma- 
tion in  other  places.  It  was  received  by  many  in 
Orleans,  Bourges,  Thouloufe,  and  in  every  part 
of  the  kingdom. 

The  reforrhation  was  more  particularly  coun- 
tenanced by  Margaret  queen  of  Navarre,  lifter  to 
Francis  I.  She  publilhed  a  treatife  entitled 
The  mirror  of  the  Jinner's  foul,  the  fentiments  of 
which  were  entirely  agreeable  to  thofe  of  the  re- 
formers. The  king  himfelf  was  at  one  time  fo 
well  difpofed,  that  he  invited  Melanfthon  to  go  to 
France,  that  he  mi^ht  hear  him  on  the  fubjed  of 
the  matters  in  difpute  ;  but  he  was  offended  at  the 
extreme  zeal  and  violence  of  fome  of  the  reform- 
ers, who  fixed  their  chanies  a^ainfl  the  tenets  of 
the  church  of  Rome  in  the  public  places,  and  to 
the  door  of  the  king's  own  apartment.  Alfo,  his 
affairs  requiring  the  aid  of  all  his  fubjeQs,  and 
that  of  the  pope,  he  perfecuted  the  reformed  dur- 
ing 


Sec.  XIII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        393 

ing  the  whole  of  his  reign  more  than  he  was  na- 
turally inclined  to  do  j  and  tho*  he  at  the  fame 
time  wifhed  for  the  afliUance  of  the  Protcftants 
in  Germany  againft  Charles  V.  On  the  whole, 
how^ever,  the  reformation  made  fuch  piogrefs  in 
France  in  this  reign,  that  there  was  hardly  any  city 
or  town  in  which  the  reformed  had  not  fome  af- 
femblies.     Laval,  Vol.  x,  p.  69. 

Henry  II,  as  an  evidence  of  his  zeal  for  the 
catholic  religion,  not  only  caufed  many  of  the  re- 
formed to  be  put  to  death,  but  in  a  more  cruel 
manner  than  had  been  ufed  in  his  father's  time  ; 
having  many  of  them  drawn  up  by  pullies,  and 
let  down  again  into  the  fire,  in  order  to  prolonj^j 
their  torments.  At  thefe  horrible  executions  the 
king  himfelf  was  fometimes  prelent ;  but  he  was 
fo  much  affe6ld  at  the  flirieks  of  one  of  thefe  mar- 
tyrs, that  it  was  faid  to  have  afFefted  his  mind  all 
his  life  after.  He  did,  not,  however,  change  his 
condu6l.  Thefe  executions  contributed  much  to 
the  fpreadofthe  reformed  religion  ;  fo  that  Meze- 
rai  fays,  there  was  at  this  time  no  province,  no 
totvn,  no  trade  in  the  kingdom,  where  the  new  opi- 
nions had  not  taken  root.  The  learned,  the  law- 
yers, and  even  the  cccleiiafiics,  tho'  againft  their 
intereft,  embraced  them. 

In    A.   D.  1559  the  reformed  held  a  rational 

fynod  at  Paris,  at  which  they  drew  up  forty  arti- 

B  b  5  clcs 


a&4  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

cles  of  faith,  and  as  many  of  difcipline.  Still, 
however,  the  perfecution  went  on,  and  the  mofl 
illuflrious  martyr  at  this  time  was  Anne  Dubourg, 
a  perfon  of  confiderable  note,  who,  after  a  long 
trial,  was  firfl  ftrangled,  and  then  reduced  to  afhes. 
At  this  time  the  reformed  in  France  got  the  name 
of  Hugonots  as  fuppofed  from  Hugo,  who  was 
faid  to  have  been  a  king,  whofe  apparition  rode 
in  the  night  through  uninhabited  places  ;  and  as 
the  reformed  reforted  to  fuch  places,  and  often  in 
the  night,  they  got  that  appellation. 

At  an  affembly  held  at  Fontainbleau  to  confult 
about  reftoring  the  peace  of  the  kingdom,  in  a.  d. 
1560,  admiral  Coligni,  who  diftinguifhed  himfelf 
as  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  reformed,  prefented  two 
petitions  for  liberty  of  confcience,  which  he  faid 
more  than  fifty  thoufand  perfons  were  ready  to 
fign ;  and  with  a  view  to  fupport  it,  he  voted  for 
a  convocation  of  the  Hates  of  the  kingdom.  This 
was  agreed  to,  and  in  the  mean  time  all  capital 
punifhments  were  fufpended,  except  in  cafe  of  a 
breach  of  the  peace.  But  by  the  influence  of  the 
Guifes  this  liberty  was  foon  infringed,  and  it 
was  refolved  that  a  catholic  confeffion  of  faith 
fliould  be  figned  by  every  perfon,  and  that  they 
who  refufed  fhould  forfeit  their  lives  and  eftates. 
The  meafure,  was  however,  fruflrated  by  the  death 
of  Francis.  11. 

At 


Sec.     XIII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    39:r 

At  the  aflembly  of  the  Hates,  which  was  held 
in  A.  D.  1561,  the  judges  were  enjoined  to  releafe 
ail  prifoners  on  account  ot  religion,  and  to  reflorc 
them  to  the  poffeffion  of  their  ellates ;  but  at  the 
fame  time  it  was  enabled  that  for  the  future  all  per- 
fons  (hould  conform  to  the  rites  ot  the  church, tho* 
it  was  made  a  capital  crime  to  reproach  any  perfon 
on  account  of  his  religion.  At  this  time  alfo  a  con- 
ference was  appointed  between  the  catholic  prelates 
and  the  reformed  at  Poiffy,  in  which  the  chief 
fpeaker  was  Theodore  Beza,  a  colleague  of  Calvia 
at  Geneva,  on  the  part  of  the  reformed,  and  the 
cardinal  of  Lorraine  for  the  catholics.  The  king 
and  the  court  attended.  But  tho'  they  reformed 
conceded  more  than  they  ought  to  have  done  widi 
refpeft  to  the  do£lrine  of  the  eucharift,  they  broke 
up  diffatisfied  with  each  other;  fo  that  tho'  great 
things  had  been  expe6led  from  the  conference, 
it  did  nothing  towards  an  union  of  the  parties. 
The  next  j^^ear,  however,  an  edi6l  was  publifhed, 
allowing  the  exercife  of  the  reformed  religion  un- 
der certain  reilriQions  ;  and  in  fome  places  the 
catholics  and  the  reformed  made  ufe  of  the  fame 
churches.  But  notwiihflanding  this  the  relormed 
fufFcred  much  in  popular  tumults,  excited  by  the 
cleigy  and  the  monks, 

Prefently 


S96  THE  HISTORY  OF     Per.  XXU 

Prefently  after  this  the  civil  war,  in  which  reli- 
gion and  civil  policy  were  about  equally  concern- 
ed, broke  out,  and  kept  the  country  in  a  difturbed 
ftate  many  years.  The  objefl  of  moft  of  the  lead- 
ers was  too  evidently  their  own  agrandizement, 
while  their  followers  fought,  as  they  imagined, 
for  their  religion.  We  muft,  however,  except 
the  admiral  Coligni,  a  truly  great  charafter,  who 
fufFered  at  the  maflfacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  of 
which  an  account  will  be  given  in  the  next  pe- 
riod. In  this  civil  war  it  appeared,  that  the 
kingdom  ivas  fo  nearly  equally  divided,  that  it 
was  often  as  probable  that  the  reformed  would 
prevail,  and  eftablifh  their  religion  as  the  Ca* 
tholics. 


SECTION 


Sec.  XIV.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH^     397 


SECTION  XIV. 


Of  the   ReforTYiation  in  England* 


I 


N  England  a  good  foundatiou  was  laid 
for  the  introdu6lion  of  the  reformation  by  the  la- 
bours of  WicklifFe  and  the  Lollards,  as  his  difci- 
ples  were  generally  called,  in  a  preceding  period, 
and  alfo  by  the  violence  of  the  clergy  in  the  per- 
fecution  of  them.  In  London  the  whole  body  of 
the  clergy  became  exceedingly  obnoxious  to  the 
laity  in  A.  D.  1515  by  the  murder  of  Richard 
Hunn,  a  merchant,  who  profecuted  fome  of  them 
in  the  temporal  courts  for  fuing  him  for  a  mortua- 
ary  in  the  courts  of  the  legate;  he  alleging  that 
they  had  no  right  by  the  laws  of  the  land  to  bring 
the  kings  fubjefts  before  a  foreign  tribunal.  Pro- 
voked at  this  oppofition,  and  finding  that  he  had 
WickliflPe's  bible  in  his  pofTefTion,  they  had  him 
apprehended  as  a  heretic  ;  and  not  being  able  by 
this  means  to  make  him  defift  from  his  fuit,  the 
bilhop's  chancellor  Dr.  Henry,  with  fome  affift- 
ants  murdered  hiiii  in  prifon,  and  afterwards,  hav- 
ing 


m  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII 

ing  procured  his  condemnation  as  a  heretic,  his 
body  was  burned. 

This  atrocious  condu£l  being  confidered  as 
the  aft  of  the  whole  body  of  the  clergy,  the  rage 
?.gainft  them  proceeded  fo  far,  that  the  bifhop  of 
London  complained  that  he  was  not  lafe  in  his 
own  houfe.  Hunn  was  fuppofed  to  have  been 
encouraged  in  his  profecution  of  the  clergy  by  an 
attack  made  by  Dr.  Standifh,  a  Francifcan,  on 
the  pretended  immunities  of  the  clergy  in  cafes  of 
civil  oflFence.  After  much  debate  the  king  declared 
againft  the  clergy,  but  in  Older  to  give  them  fome 
fatisfaftion,  it  was  fettled  that  when  Dr.  Henry 
was  profecuted  for  the  murder  of  Hunn,  no  evi- 
dence ftiould  appear  againft  him.  This  conduct 
g?.ve  no  fatisfaftion  to  the  common  people.  On 
the  contrary  it  greatly  increafed  their  difcontent, 
and  difpofed  them  to  throw  off  the  ecclefiaftical 
tyranny.     Burnet,  Vol.  i,  p.  19. 

In  this  ftate  of  things  the  publications  in  Ger- 
many, being  tranflated  into  Englifli,  made  a  great 
impreffion  on  many  perfons ;  and  this  irritating 
the  clergy  more  than  ever,  they  procured  the  death 
of  fix  .women,  who  were  burned  alive  in  Coven- 
try, for  only  teaching  their  children  the  creed,  the 
Lord's  prayer,  and  the  ten  commandments  in  En- 
glifli. *     At  this  time   Henry   VIII  became    the 

champion 

*  In  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Henry  V   an  aft 


Sec.  XIV.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     39§ 

champion  ot  the  church  by  writing  againft  Lu- 
ther, and  he  was  rendered  more  averfe  to  the  re- 
formation in  confequence  of  the  afperity  with  which 
Luther  treated  him  in  his  anfwer.  Notwithftanding 
this,  it  was  by  means  of  this  very  king,  the  moft  ar- 
bitrary of  any  monarch  of  England,  that  divine 
providence  was  pl^afed  to  bring  about  a  refor- 
mation. 

Being  difTatisfied  with  his  wife,  who  had  been 
the  widow  of  his  elder  brother,  and  fifter  to  Charles 
V,  he  in  a.  d.  1527  applied  to  the  pope  for  a  di- 
vorce ;  and  for  fome  time  with  a  great  profpeft  of 
fuccefs  ;  but  afterwards  the  pope,  unwilling  to 
difoblige  the  emperor,  deferred  the  decifion  of  the 
caufe  fo  long,  that  the  king,  impatient  at  the  de- 
lay, took  other  meafures.  At  the  fuggeftion  of 
Cranmer,  then  a  lludent  at  Cambridge,  he  con- 
fulted  the  principal  univerfities  and  divines  in  Eu- 
rope, as  their  decifion  was  fufficient  to  latisfy  his 
confcience.  They  unanimoufly  declaring  againft 
the  marriage  as  unlawful,  he  was  divorced  from 
the  queen,  notwithftanding  her  appeal  to  the  pope, 
and  in  a,  d.  1553  was  married  to  Ann  Boleyn, 
ivho  was  favourable  to  the  reformation.     At  the 

fame 

paffed  which  exprefTed  that,  whoever  fliould  read  the 
fcriptures  in  their  mother  tongue,then  called  Wkklijfe^s 
language^  they  fhould  forfeit  their  lands,  life,  and  goods 
to  ihe  king  froai  their  heirs  for  ever.   Ncalf  Vol,  1.  p.  7, 


40a  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

fame  time  Cranmer,   who  was  equally  favourable 
to  it,  was  made  archbifhop  of  Canterbury. 

The  pope,  againfl  his  own  inclination,  but  in 
compliance  with  the  wiflies  of  the  emperor,  de- 
claring the  former  marriage  valid,  and  requiring 
the  king  to  live  with  the  furmer  queen  as  his  wife, 
this  haughty  prince,  notwithftanding  his  attach- 
ment to  the  do6lrines  of  the  church,  formed  the 
defign  of  fliaking  off  the  yoke  of  the  pope,  and  in 
that  year  all  intercourfe  with  the  court  of  Rome, 
was  by  a6k  of  Parliament  declared  to  ceafe.  At 
the  fame  time  it  was  declared  that  there  was  no  de- 
fign to  relinquifh  any  of  the  articles  of  the  catholic 
iaith.  The  monafteries  were  alfofubjedled  to  the 
king's  vifitation,  and  the  clergy  in  convocation  af- 
fented  to  thefe  a£ls.  The  year  following  the  king 
was  by  aft  of  Parliament  declared  to  be  fupreme 
head  of  the  church  of  England,  ^nd  power  was  giv- 
en him  to  reform  all  herefies  and  abufes  in  the 
ecclefiaftical  jurisdi6lion  •  alfo  the  firfl  fruits  and 
tenths  ot  all  church  livings  were  given  to  him,  as 
they  had  belonged  to  the  pope.  This  was,  in  faft, 
fetting  up  another  ecclefiaftical  tyranny  inftead  of 
that  of  the  pope,  attended  with  this  abfurdity,  that 
the  head  of  the  church  was  a  layman.  In  this 
flate,  however,  the  church  of  England  has  continu- 
ed to  this  day. 

Comolaint 


Sec.  XIV.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     4dl 

Complaint  being  made  of  the  fevcrity  of  the 
ecclefiaftical  courts  by  the  a6l  of  fupremacy  in  the 
twenty  fixth  of  Henry  VIII,  the  aO:  of  the  fecond 
of  Henry  IV  was  repealed,  but  thofe  of  Richard 
II  and  Henry  V  were  left  in  full  force  *  v/ith  this 
qualification,  that  heretics  fhould  be  proceeded  a- 
gainft  by  two  witneffes  at  leaft,  and  could  not  be 
put  to  death  without  the  king's  writ  de  hercelico 
comhurendo.  Heretics  were  therefore  now  to  be 
tried  according  to  the  forms  of  law.  Neal,  Vol.  i, 
p.  14. 

In  the  mean  time,  it  being  thought  that  the 
pope  would  be  more  favourable  to  the  king's  di- 

VoL.  V.  C  c  vorce 

*  By.an  a6l  of  Henry  IV  the  biftiops  might  take  into 
cuftody  any  perfons  fufpecled  of  herefy,  and  if  they  re- 
fufed  to  abjure  their  errors,  or  relapfed  after  abjurati- 
on, they  were  to  be  delivered  over  to  the  fecular  power, 
and  burned  to  death  before  the  people.  rhis  was 
without  trial  by  jury,  by  the  bifliops  in  their  fpiritual 
courts.     A^m/,  Vol.  ),  p.  6. 

The  a6l  of  Richard  Henafled that,"  all  who  preach- 
*'  ed  without  licence  againft  the  catholic  faith  Ihould  be 
'»  arrefled,  and  kept  in  prifon  till  they  juftified  them- 
"  felves  according  to  the  law  and  reafon  of  holy  church. 
"  This  commitment  was  to  be  by  adl  from  the  chancel- 
"  lor."  In  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Henrj'  V  it 
was  enafted  that  "  the  Lollards,  or  Wickliffites,  fhould 
"  forfeit  all  the  lands  they  had  in  fee  fimple,  and  all  their 
"  goods  and  chattek  to  the  king," 


402  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII, 

vorce  by  fevere  proceedings  againfl;  the  heretics,  a 
proclamation  was  iffued  againft  their  books  and 
perfons,  and  ordering  all  the  laws  that  had  been 
enafted  againft  them  to  be  put  in  execution.  But 
Tindal's  tranflation  of  the  Bible,  which  was  print- 
ed at  Antwerp,  did  more  to  favour  the  reformation 
than  all  the  temporal  powers  could  do  againft  it; 
and  it  being  the  king's  intereft  to  unite  with  the 
reforming  princes  of  Germany,  a  ftop  was  put  to 
the  perfecution. 

The  monks  being  the  chief  oppofers  of  the  re- 
formation, a  general  vifitation  was  made  of  all  the 
religious  houfes  in  the  kingdom,  and  the  vifitors 
finding  in  them  many  diforders,  and  the  account 
of  them  being  printed,  a  great  indignation  was  ex- 
cited againft  the  whole  fyftem.  On  this  fome  of 
the  monafteries  voluntarily  furrendered  their  reve- 
nues to  the  king,  and  by  an  a€l  of  parliament  in 
A.  D.  1536,  all  the  monafteries  whofe  revenues  did 
not  exceed  two  hundred  pounds  per  annum,  were 
fupprefled.  In  a.  d.  1537  the  greater  monafteries 
were  in  like  manner  given  up.  On  this  occafion 
the  fhrine  of  Thomas  Becket  was  broken,  and  the 
gold  belonging  to  it  was  fo  much,  that  it  filled  two 
ehefts,  each  of  which  took  eight  men  to  carry  it 
out  of  the  church. 

That  the  monafteries  in  general  were  in  a  very 
difordcrly  ftate  in  this  reign,  may  be  fafely  conclu- 
ded 


Sec.  XIV.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    4G5 

ded  from  what  we  find  concerning  them  in  the 
reign  immediately  preceding ;  when  the  diffolute 
manners  of  the  clergy,  efpecially  of  the  regulars, 
were  much  talked  of,  and  gave  great  offence  to  the 
laity;  who  were  provoked  to  fee  the  immenfe 
pofTeflions  bellowed  upon  the  church  by  the  piety 
of  their  anceflors  fo  fhamefully  abufed. 

The  court  of  Rome  becoming  apprehenfive  that 
this  difcontent  of  the  laity  might  have  lerious  con- 
fequences,  Pope  Innocent  VIII  fent  a  bull  to 
archbifhop  Morton  in  March  a.  d.  1490,  in  which 
he  acquaints  him,  that  "  he  had  heard  with  great 
"  grief,  from  perfons  worthy  of  credit,  that  the 
*'  monks  of  all  the  different  orders  in  England  had 
"  grievoufly  degenerated,  and  that,  giving  them- 
*'  felves  up  to  a  degenerate  fenfe,  they  led  lewd  and 
"  diffolute  lives,  by  which  they  brought  ruin  upon 
*'  their  own  fouls,  fet  a  bad  example  to  others, 
^'  and  gave  great  offence  and  fcandal  to  many." 

He  then  direded  the  primate  to  admonifh  the 
abbots  and  priors  of  all  the  convents  in  his  pro- 
vince to  reform  themfelves,  and  thole  under  them; 
and  if  any  of  them  did  not  obey  the  admonition, 
he  gave  him  authority  to  vifit  and  reform  them  by 
ecclefiaflical  cenfures,  to  cut  off  incurable  mem- 
bers by  deprivation,  and  to  call  the  fecular  arm  to 
his  affiflance  when  it  was  neceffary, 

C  c  2  In 


404  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXIL 

In  abedience  to  this  bull  the  archbifhop  fent 
monitory  letters  to  the  fuperiors  of  all  the  convents 
and  religious  houfes  in  his  province,  admonifhing 
and  commanding  them  by  the  authority  he  had  re- 
ceived from  the  pope,  to  reform  themfelves  and 
their  fubjefts  from  certain  vices,  of  which  they 
were  faid  to  be  guilty,  and  of  which  he  accufed 
them. 

The  monitory  letter  that  was  fent  on  this  occa* 
fion  to  the  abbot  of  St.  Albans  has  been  publifh- 
cd.  If  that  abbot  and  his  monks  were  flained 
with  all  the  odious  vices  of  which  the  primate  in 
his  letter  fays  they  were  notorioufly  guilty,  they 
were,  lays  Dr.  Henry  (from  whofe  Hijlory  of  En- 
gland, Vol.  12,  p.  3,  I  quote  this)  a  moft  execra- 
ble crew,  and  flood  much  in  need  of  reformation. 
Some  of  thefe  vices,  he  adds,  are  fo  deteftabic, 
that  they  cannot  be  fo  much  as  named  in  hif- 
tory. 

"  You  arc  infamous,"  fays  he,  to  the  ab- 
"  bot,  for  fimony,  ufury,  and  fquandering  the 
*'  poiTeffions  of  your  monaftery,  befides  other  e- 
*•  normous  crimes  mentioned  below."  One  of 
thefe  crimes  was  that  he  had  turned  all  the  modefl 
women  out  of  the  two  nunneries  of  Pray  and  Sap- 
well  (over  which  he  pretended  to  have  a  jurisdic- 
tion) and  filled  them  with  proftitutes ;  that  they 

were 


Sec.  XIV.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    40s 

were  efteemed  no  better  than  brothels,  and  that 
he  and  his  monks  pubhckly  frequented  them  as 
fuch. 

The  archbifhop  feemed  to  be  well  informed  ; 
for  he  names  fome  of  thofe  infamous  women  and 
their  gallants.  The  monks  were  at  leaft  as  pro- 
fligate as  their  abbot.  For  befides  keeping  con- 
cubines both  within  and  without  the  monaftery, 
he  accufes  them  of  ftealing  the  church  plate,  and 
jewels  out  of  the  fhrine  of  their  patron  St.  Alban. 
He  allows  them  fixty  days  to  reform  from  all  their 
vices,  especially  from  cutting  down  the  woods, 
and  Healing  the  plate  and  jewels  of  the  monaftery; 
but  if  they  did  not  reform  in  that  time,  and  be- 
come very  chafte,  honeft,  and  good  monks,  he 
threatens  them  with  a  vifitation. 

What  efFe£t  this  monitory  letter  had  on  the 
abbot  and  his  monks  we  are  not  informed.  It  is 
probable,  the  hiftorian  adds,  that  it  was  not  great. 
For  we  learn  from  the  fame  letter  that  they  had 
been  feveral  times  admonifhed  before  to  no  pur- 
pofe.  When  the.  monaftics  lived  in  idlenefs,  wal- 
lowed in  wealth  and  luxury,  and  were  doomed 
to  celebacy,  the  temptation  to  certain  vices,  he 
•juftly  ohferves,  was  too  ftrong  to  be  overcome  by 
monitory  letters,  which  they  probably  confidered 
as  things  of  courfe. 

C  c  3  Speaking 


4^C  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

Speaking  ofthe  monafteries  after  their  diffolu- 
tion  he  fays,  p.  357,   The  vifitations  that  preceded 
their  fuppreflion  difcovered,  if  credit  be  due  to  the 
infpeftors,  crimes  the  mod  degrading  to   human 
nature.     Hypocritical  fan6lity,  and  holy  fraud.*,  he 
fays,are  congenial  to  every  monaftic  inftitution,  and 
the  counterfeit  relicks  impofed   on  the  vulgar,  or 
the  artifices    pra6tifed  to  fupport  their  credit,  are 
to  be  regarded  as  the  cftablifhed  trade  of  religious 
orders.      Intemperance   alfo   is    to   be    expefled 
wherever  afcetics  have  obtained  a  relaxation  from 
rigid  difclpline.     But  the  reports  are  replete  with 
other   crimes   of  a  deeper   complexion,  the  lewd- 
nefs  of  the  monks,  the  incontinence  of  the  nuns, 
and  the  abortions  forcibly  procured  by   the  latter, 
and  the  monftrous  lulls  which  the  former  indulged. 
The  particulars    would  ftain  and  difhonour    our 
page.  Yet  an  hiftorian,hefays,  anxious  for  the  digni- 
ty of  human  nature,  might  wifh  to  believe  that  the 
reports  ot  the  vifitors  were  inflamed  by  zeal,    and 
perverted  by  an  jnterefted  and  malignant  policy. 
It  is  difiicult  to  conceive  that  they  would  venture, 
unfupported  by  evidence,  to  accufe  a  community 
of  crimes  repugnant  to  human  nature;   and   their 
veracity  feems  to  be  vindicated  by   their  folicitude 
to  preferve  fome  convents  whofe  conduft  was  ex- 
emplary.    But  thefe  crimes  were   apparently  no- 
torious ;  nor  is  their  exiflence  doubtful,  or  the  li- 
centious 


Sec.  XIV.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*     407 

centious  lives  of  the  regulars  difputable,  when  their 
debaucheries  had  already  attrafted  the  papal  in- 
dignation, and  their  crimes  incurred  the  cenfures 
and  menaces  of  the  archbifhop.  If  at  the  com- 
mencement of  this  period  the  monks  of  St.  Alban 
had  begun,  in  diflPerent  convents,  to  difplace  the 
nuns,  and  fubftitute  proftitutes,  it  is  not  probable 
that  their  morals  were  afterwards  improved,  or 
their  difcipline  re-eftablilhed. 

In  this  year  the  bible  was  printed  in  Englilh, 
and  a  copy  was  ordered  to  be  put  into  all  the 
churches.  But  notwithflanding  this,  fo  zealous 
was  the  king  for  the  doftrines  of  popery,  that  the 
next  year  Lambert,  who  had  been  affociated  with 
Tindal  in  this  tranflation  of  the  bible,  was  burned 
for  denying  the  corporal  prefence,  and  fix  articles 
were  enforced  by  a6l  of  parliament  in  a.  d.  1538 
to  prevent  diverfity  of  opinion.  They  related  to 
communion  in  one  kind,  the  obfervance  of  the 
vows  of  chaftity,  private  maflfes,  the  celebacy  of 
the  clergy,  and  auricular  confeflion.  However, 
on  the  remonflrance  of  the  ambaflador  from  the 
German  princes,  the  king  (aid  the  aft  was  neccfla- 
ry  to  reprefs  theinfolence  of  fome  perfons,  but  that 
it  fhould  not  be  carried  into  execution  except  i:i 
cafefi  of  great  provocation.  * 

C  c  4  I1 

*  Many  Gomplaints  being  made  in  this  reign  of  thofc 

who  had  licences  to  preach,  they,    iw  erck*r  tojulliiy 


408  THE  HISTORY  OF        P^r.  XXH. 

In  A.  D.  1547  the  king  died,  and  was  fucceed- 
edby  his  fon  Edward  VI,  a  young  prince,  but  of 
great  capacity,  and  much  knowledge,  and  a  fincere 
promoter  of  the  reformation,  in  which  he  was 
warmly  feconded  by  Cranmer,  who  had  been  ex- 
pofed  to  much  danger  in  the  latter  part  of  Henry's 
life.  One  of  the  firft  things  that  was  done  by  the 
privy  council  (which  had  all  the  ?oyal  power  till 
the  king  fhould  be  of  age)  was  to  procure  the  com- 
pofition  of  certain  homilies,  or  difcourfes,  chiefly 
in  favour  of  the  reformation,  ordering  them  to  be 
lead  in  churches,  and  to  dhe6t  that  an  Englilh 
tranflation  of  Erasmus's  Paraphrafe  of  the  New 
Tejlamcnt,  together  with  a  new  tranflation  of  the 
Jjible,  ftiould  be  lodged  in  them  all. 

A  ftri6l  charge  was  alfo  given  for  the  due  ob- 
fervance  of  the  Lord's  day,  which  was  diredled  to 
be  wholly  employed  in  the  duties  of  religion,   or 
in  a£ls  of  charity  ;  only  in  time  of  harvefl;  perfons 
were  allowed  to  work,  as  well  as  on  other  feflival 
days.     A  general    vifitation  of  all   the    churches 
was  appointed,  and  in  the  mean  time  the  jurisdic- 
tion 
themfclves,  began   generally  to  write  and    read   their 
fermons  ;  and  this  was  the  beginning  to  the  preaching 
Irom  nsiLS.     All  preaching   before  this  time  was   ex 
tempore,  or  from  memory.  Burnet,  Vol.1,  p.  270.  Eng- 
land is  the  only  country  in  which  preaching  is  generally 
from  notes,  the  difcourfes  being  carefully  precompofed» 


Sec.  XIV.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.        4E>^J 

tion  of  the  bifhops  was  fufpended.  When  the  par- 
liament met,  an  aft  was  pafTed  to  repeal  that  of 
the  fix  articles,  enafted  in  the  preceding  reign,  and 
alfo  all  the  afts  againft  the  Lollards.  Communi- 
on in  both  kinds  was  allowed,  and  a  new  liturgy 
was  compofed  in  Englifti.  In  a.  d.  15*49  ano- 
ther a6b  was  palTed  permitting  the  marriage  of  the 
clergy. 

Unhappily,  the  fpirit  of  the  reformation  was 
not  thought  to  be  inconfiflent  with  that  of  perfe- 
cution,  and  in  this  year  there  arrived  fome  Ana- 
baptifts  from  Germany,  and  among  them  fome 
who  *'  denying  a  trinity  ofperfons  in  the  god-head, 
*' and  maintaining  that  Clirift  was  not  God,  and 
"  did  not  take  flefh  of  the  virgin,"  were  ex- 
pofed  to  it.  The  mod  diftinguifhed  fuflPerer  was 
Joan  Bocher,  or  Joan  of  Kent,  who,  notwithftand- 
ing  the  remonftrances  of  the  young  king,  was 
burned  alive ;  Cranmer  perfuading  him  that,  being 
God's  lieutenant,  he  was  bound  in  the  firfl  place 
to  punifh  offences  againil  God. 

George  Van  Paris,  a  Dutchman,  being  con- 
vifted  of  faying  that  "  God  the  Father  was  the 
'•■  only  God,  and  that  Chrifl  was  net  very  God,'' 
was  condemned  in  the  fame  manner  with  Joan  of 
Kent,  and  burned  in  Smithfield  April  25th,  a.  d, 
1551.  He  was  a  man  offtrift  virtue  and  great 
piety,  and  he  fuffered  with  great  conllancy,  kifTing 

C  c  5  the 


410  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXIL 

the  flake  and  the  faggots  that  were  to  burn  him. 
Thefe  cafes  were  juftly  brought  by  the  catholics 
againft  criminals  in  the  time  of  queen  Mary.  Ncal, 
Vol.  1,  p.  50. 

Strype  fays  that  arianifm  fhewed  itfelf  fo  open- 
ly in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI,  and  was  in  fuch 
danger  of  fpreading,  that  it  was  thought  neceffary 
to  fupprefs  it  by  more  rigid  methods  than  feemed 
agreeable  to  the  merciful  principles  of  the  profef- 
fion  ot  the  gofpel.  Lindsy's  Hi/lorical  View, 
p.  84. 

In  A.  D.  1550  farther  progrefs  was  made  in 
the  reformation.  Images  were  ordered  to  be  de- 
faced, all  the  prayers  to  the  faints  were  ftruck  out 
of  the  primmer  publifhed  by  the  late  king,  a  book 
of  ordination  was  publifhed,  the  book  of  common 
prayer  was  revifed,  altars  were  put  down,  and  in 
A.  D.  1551  forty  two  articles  of  religion  (the  fame 
that  were  afterwards  reduced  to  thirty  nine)  were 
agreed  on.  All  thefe  things  were  confirmed  in 
the  convocation  of  the  clergy,  who  in  general 
complied  with  the  new  regulations.  Alfo  a  refor- 
mation of  the  eccleliaflical  laws  was  prepared. 

But  while  things  were  in  this  progrefs,  the 
king  died,  and  being  fucceeded  by  his  fifler  Mary, 
who  was  a  bigoUed  catholic,  all  the  fleps  that  had 
been  t:.ksn  to  promole  the  reformation  were  re- 
verfed,  and  the  favourers  of  it  were  expofed  to  a 

dreadful 


Sec.  XIV.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    411 

dreadful  perfecution.  Cranmer  was  prefently  im- 
prifoned,  and  in  the  firft  parliament  in  this  new 
reign  all  the  late  laws  relating  to  religion  were  re- 
pealed. In  A.  D.  1554  the  kingdom  was  folemn- 
]y  reconciled  to  the  holy  fee,  and  the  year  follow- 
ing many  were  publickly  burned  alive  for  herefy. 
Cranmer  at  firft  recanted,  but  afterwards  fufFered 
with  great  heroifm. 

The  firft  who  fufFered  in  this  reign  was  John 
Rogers,  a  reader  of  divinity  in  St.  Paul's  church  ; 
and  it  is  fomething  remarkable  that  he,  as  well  as 
Cranmer,  had  approved  of  the  burning  of  J. 
Bocher,  in  the  preceding  reign.  When  fhe  was 
under  fentence  of  death,  a  friend  of  Mr.  Roaera 
earneftly  requefted  him  to  ufe  his  intereft  with 
the  archbiftiop  that  fhe  might  only  be  kept  in  pri- 
fon,  and  not  put  to  death.  When  he  would  not 
confent  to  this,  his  Iriend  begged  that  he  would 
plead  for  fome  eafier  kind  of  death  than  that  of  be- 
ing burned  alive.  But  to  this  Rogers  replied, 
that  burning  alive  was  not  a  very  cruel  death,  but 
eafy  enough.  To  this  his  friend,  taking  him  by 
the  hand,  faid  with  peculiar  earneftnefs,  '-  Well 
"  perhaps  it  may  fo  happen  that  you  yourfelves 
"  may  have  your  hands  full  of  this  mild  burnincr." 
Cro/b/s  Hijlory  of  the  Englijh  Baptijls,  Vol.  1, 
p.  60.  Whether  Mr.  Rogers  ever  changed  his 
opinion  on  the  fubjeft  of  perfecution,  does  not  ap- 
pear; 


Atz  THE  HISTORY  OF     Per.  XXII.. 

pear  ;  but,  tho*  a  perfecutor  himfelf,  no  perfon 
could  behave  with  more  firmnefs,  or  more  propri- 
ety in  all  refpefls,  when  it  came  to  his  turn  to  fuf- 
fqr,  than  Mr.  Rogers  did. 

It  was  computed  that  in  this  reign  two  hundred- 
and  eighty  four  were  burned  alive,  many  more 
were  imprifoned,  and  fixty  died  in  prifon,  or  of 
the  tortures  to  which  they  were  expofed.  Many 
fled  trom  this  violent  perfecution,  efpecially  to 
Frankfort  and  other  cities  of  Germany,  where  the 
reformation  had  been  carried  farther  than  in  Eng- 
land.    Burnet,  Vol.  2,  p.  304. 

According  to  Mr.  Neal  the  number  that  fuf- 
fered  death  in  the  reign  of  queen  Mary  was  not 
lefs  than  two  hundred  and  feventy  feven  perfons, 
of  whom  five  were  bifhops,  twenty  one  clergymen, 
eight  gentlemen,  eighty  four  tradefmen,  one  hun- 
dred hufbandmen,  labourers,  and  fervants,  fifty 
five  women,  and  four  children.  Befides  thefe 
there  were  fifty  four  under  perfecution,  feven  of 
whom  were  whipped.  Sixteen  perifhed  in  prifon. 
The  refl  who  were  making  ready  for  the  fire,  were 
preff  rved  by  the  death  of  the  queen,  Ncal,  Vol. 
I,  p.  66. 

The  Lutherans  would  not  receive  thofe  who 
Hed  from  the  perfecution  of  queen  Mary,  becaufe 
they  were  Sacramentarians.  MelanQhon  inter- 
fered 


Sec.   XIV.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     4U 

fered  for  them,  but  without  efFe6t.  Neal,  Vol. 
1,  p.  101. The  number  of  refugees  was  about  eight 
hundred. 

But  in  A.  D.  1558  the  queen  died,    and  being 
fucceeded  by  Eh^abeth,  the  reformation  was  re- 
fumed.     The  next   year  the   Englifh  liturgy  was « 
again  ufed,  and  a  new  tranflation  of  the  bible  was 
made.     Many  of  thofe  who  now  returned  to  Eng- 
land were  advocates  for  a  more  complete  reforma- 
tion, but  the  queen  refolutely  oppofed  them,  and 
infilled  on  a   ftri61:  conformity  to  every  thing  that 
(he  thought  proper  to  fix,  even  with  refpeft  to  the 
ufe  of  things  allowed  to  be  in  themfelves  indiflPer- 
cnt,  as  the  popifli  veflments,  &c.    On  this  many 
perfons  refufing  to  comply  were  expofed  to  great 
hardfhips,  as  they  continued  to  be  in  all  that  and 
the  following  reign  of  the   Stuarts.     Profeffing  a 
purer  religion  than  that  which  was  eftablifhed  by 
law,  they  got  the  appellation  of  Puritans^     Their 
history  will  be  given  in  the  next  period. 


SECTION' 


4r4  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 


SECTION  XV. 

OJ  the  Reformation  in  Scotland  and  Ireland^ 

c 

kJ GOTLAND,    in   confequence  of    a 
long  feries  of  civil  wars,  which  had  alrnoft  defolat- 
ed  the  country,  had  not  in  the  time  of  Luther  its 
natural  proportion  of  learned  men.     But  notwith- 
ftanding  this  difadvantage  the  reformation  was  in- 
troduced into  this  country  at  a  very  early  period 
by  feveral   perfons  who  had  refided  in  Germany  ; 
and  being  embraced  by  fome  of  the  nobility,  and 
other  men  of  great  power  and  influence,  very  few 
jfufFered  in   confequence  of  it.     The  only  martyr 
of  much   note  was   Patrick  Hamilton.     He  was 
nephew  to  the  earl  of  Arran  by  his  father,   and  to 
the  duke  of  Albany  by  his  mother,  and  an  abbey 
was  given  to  him  for  the  profecution  of  his  ftudies. 
But  on  his  travels  he  became  acquainted  with  Lu- 
ther and  Melanfthon,  and  adopting  their  opinions 
he  openly  preached  them  on  his  return  to  his  own 
country.     Being,  in  confequence  of  this,  appre- 
hended, and  committed  to  prifon,  and  afterwads 

appearing 


Sec.   XV.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      415 

appearing  before  Beaton  archbifhop  of  Sr.  An- 
drews, together  with  the  archbifhop  of  Glalgow, 
three  bifliops,  and  five  abbots,  he  was  condemned 
as  an  obflinate  heretic,  and  ordered  for  execution 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  fame  day.  This  was  while 
the  king  was  abfent  on  a  pilgrimage;  for  they 
were  apprehenfive  of  the  friends  of  Mr.  Hamilton 
making  interefl  for  him. 

When  he  was  fattened  to  the  flake  he  expreCfed 
great  joy, and  the  fire  not  taking  efFeft  immediately 
for  want  of  gun  powder,  the  friars  vere  very  urgent 
with  him  to  recant,  and  efpecially  one  Campbell, 
who  had  frequently  been  with  him  in  prifon.  But 
he  replied  to  them  all  with  great  energy,  and  par- 
ticularly to  Campbell,  charging  him  to  anfwer  for 
his  conduft  before  God.  When  the  gun-powder 
was  brought,  and  the  fire  rekindled,  he  died,  fre- 
quently repeating  Lord  Jcjus  receive  my  fpirit.  It 
is  remarkable  that  loon  after  Campbell  became  in- 
fane,  and  died  within  the  year,  and  this,  as  well  as 
the  behaviour  of  Hamilton,  made  a  great  impref- 
fion  on  the  people. 

After  this  a  friar  faying  in  his  confcfnon  to  an- 
other, that  he  thought  Hamilton  was  a  good  man, 
and  the  confefTor  difcovering  it,  this  was  received 
as  evidence,  and  he  was  condemned  and  burned- 
Many  others  were  brought  before    the  bifhop's 

courts. 


41ft  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII 

courts,  and  the  greater  part  of  them  abjured,  but 
two,  of  the  names  of  Gourley  and  Smeaton  were 
condemned  and  burned. 

The  king,  who  was  very  expenfive  both  in  his 
pleafures  and  his  buildings,  and  confequently  in 
great  want  of  money,  efpecially  to  provide  for  his 
many  natural  children,  being  told  by  the  clergy 
that  from  the  perfecution  of  the  heretics  he  might 
raifc  an  hundred  thoufand  crowns  a  year,  and  pro- 
vide for  his  children  in  the  abbies  and  priories,  gave 
into  their  meafures  ;  when  a  canon,  regular,  a  fe- 
cular  prieft,  two  friars,  and  a  gentleman  were 
burned. 

The  archbifhop  of  Glafgow  difliked  thefe  per- 
fecuting  meafures,    and  when   RuflTel  a  friaT,  and 
Kennedy  a  young  man  of   eighteen  years  of  age 
were  brought  before  him,  and  behaved  with  un- 
common lirmnefs  and  joy,  he  was  flaggered,  and 
appeared  unwilling  to   pafs  fentence,  faying  that 
thefe  executions  did  more  harm  to  the  church  than 
good  ;  but  being  urged  by  the  clergy  about  him, 
faying  that  he  muft  not  aft  differently  from  the  o- 
ther  bifliops,  he  pronounced  the  fentence,  and  they 
were  burned  ;  but  they  behaved  with  fo  much  pa- 
tience and  joy,  as  made  a  great  imprefTion  both  on 
the  fpe6lators  and  thofe  who  heard  of  it.     George 
Buchanan,  a  moll  excellent  Latin  poet  and  hillo- 

rian, 


Snc.  XV.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      411^ 

torian,  and  who  at  the  king's  inftigation  had  writ-* 
ten  an  admirable  poem  entitled  Franciscanus  a- 
gainft  the  monks,  being  now  abandoned  by  the 
king,  fled  into  France,  and^  lived  twenty  years  in 
foreign  countries. 

The  mofl  adive  promoter  of  the  reformation  by 
his  preaching  was  John  Knox,  a  difciple  of  Cal- 
vin, who  came  to  Scotland  in  a.  d.  1559,  a  man 
of  great  zeal,  undaunted  refolution,  and  popular 
eloquence  ;  and  being  fupported  by  a  flrong  party 
who  oppofed  the  court,  he  was  not  expofed  to 
much  perfonal  danger. 

Ireland  followed  the  fate  of  England  in  all  its 
changes  with  refpeft  to  the  reformation.  There  all 
the  views  of  Henry  VIII  were  carried  into  execu- 
tion by  G.  Brown,  a  monk  of  the  order  of  Auftin, 
who  had  been  made  aichbilhop  of  Dubim  in 
A.  0*1525.  He  was  deprived  of  his  dignity  by 
queen  Mary,  but  under  Elizabeth  the  reformati- 
on was  re-eftablifhed  in  Ireland  as  well  as  in  Eng- 
land. 


Vol.  V.  D  d  SECTION 


4lii  THE  HISTORY^OF        Per.  XXIL 


SECTION  XVI. 

OJ  the  Reformation  in  the  Northern  and  Eajlern 
Countries  oJ  Europe, 

I.  Of  ihe  Reformation  in  Sweden, 


T 


H  E  reformation  was  firfl:  preached  in 
Sweden  by  Olaus  Petri,  a  difciple  of  Luther,  foon 
after  his  rupture  with  Rome,  and  he  was  powerful- 
ly feconded  by  Guftavus  Erickfon,  who  had  been 
juft  raifed  to  the  throne  in  the  place  of  Chriftian 
II  king  of  Denmark,  whofe  cruelty  had  made  them 
revolt.  He  fent  for  learned  divines  from  Germa- 
ny, and  procured  the  fcriptures  to  be  tranflated 
into  the  Swedifh  language.  Much  reputation 
was  alfo  gained  to  the  fide  of  the  reformers  by  a 
public  difputation,  held  by  order  of  the  king  at 
Upfal,  in  A.  D.  1526.  The  year  following  the 
affembly  of  the  flates  eftablifhed  the  reformation, 
and  Guftavus  was  declared  to  be  head  of  the 
church  of  Sweden, 

,      JlOf 


S£c.  XVI.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHUi^Crf.     419 

IL  Of  the   Reformation  in  Denmark, 

Chriftian  II,  tlio'  a  tyrant,  wps  a  zealous  pro- 
moter of  the  reformation  in  Denmark,  and  for  this 
purpofe  in  a.  d.  1520,  he  font  for  Martin  Ray- 
nard  out  of  Saxony,  and  made  him  profeffor  of 
divinity  at  Copenhagen.  After  his  death,  which 
happened  the  year  following,  he  procured  Carol- 
flat  to  fuccced  him;  and  he  making  but  a  fhort  flay 
there,  the  kmg  endeavoured  to  induce  Luther 
himfelftogo  thither.  His  views  were  probably 
fimilar  to  thofe  ofHenry  VIII  of  England.  He 
wifhed  to  make  himfelt  independent  of  the  pope, 
and  to  appropriate  to  himfelf  the  great  church  liv- 
ings in  his  dominions. 

Tho*  this  king  was  depofed  in  a.  d.  1523,  his 
uncle  Frederic,  who  fucceeded  him,  was  as  much 
a  friend  to  the  reformation,  and  conducted  himfelf 
with  more  prudence.  At  an  alTembly  of  the  ftates 
in  A.  D.  1527,  he  procured  an  edift  to  be  publifh- 
ed,  declaring  all  the  fubjefts  of  Denmark  free  to 
profc fs  either  the  catholic  religion  or  that  of  Lu- 
ther, on  which  the  greater  part  of  the  people  chofe 
the  latter.  The  reformation  was  completed  by 
Chriflian  III,  a  prince  of  exemplary  prudence 
and  piety.  He  reduced  the  authority  of  the 
bifhops,  and  rellored  much  of  the  polIcfTions  of  the 
clergy  to  the  heirs  of  the  antient  owners,  both  thefe 
having  become  exorbitant  in  all  the  northern 
D  d  2  kingdoms. 


420  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXIL 

kingdoms.  This  prince  fent  for  Bugenhagius 
from  Wittemberg,  to  draw  up  a  plan  of  religious 
do6lrine,  difcipline,  and  worfhip,  which  was  ap- 
proved at  an  afferably  of  the  flates  held  at  Odenfee, 
in  A.  D.  1539-  Inltead  of  bifliops,  Chriflian  ap" 
^oinied  fupc)  intendants  of  the  churches,  wuhout 
any  temporal  authority  whatever. 

///.  0/  the  Reformation  in  Poland  % 

The  reformation  foon  fpread  into  Poland,  both 
by  means  ol  the  Lutherans,  the  reformed  in  Swit- 
zerland, and  the  Bohemian  brethien,  all  of  whom 
were  well  received  by  many  of  the  nobility  of  that 
country  ;  nor  was  the  king  hirnfelf  ill  difpofed 
towards  them  ;  and  in  a.  d.  1555,  the  Proteil- 
ants  held  their  firft  general  fynod  at  Caminiec, 
when  the  confeflion  of  the  Bohemian  brethren  was 
read,  and  approved,  all  parties  giving  each  other 
the  right  hand  of  fellowfhip,  and  receiving  the 
communion  together.     Cranlz. 

During  the  long  reign  of  Sigifmond,  which 
was  forty  two  years,  the  German  reformers  poured 
their  difciples  into  Poland;  and  the  Lutherans, 
afiTifted  by  the  Bohemian  brethren,  taught  with  fo 
much  fuccefs,  that  popery  was  reduced  to  the  low- 
ell  ebb.  Several  of  the  nobility  became  their  pa- 
trons, and  the  fenate  itfelf  was  filled  with  friends  of 
refcimation,     Robinfon,  ^.  p^6o»  /F.  (9/' 


Se«.     XVI.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  '42t 

JV.    Of  the  Reformation  in  Hungary  and  Tran- 
Jilvania, 

The  reformation  was  introduced  into  thefe 
countries  in  the  year  a.  d.  1518  (which  was  only 
one  year  after  Luther  began  to  preach  againft 
indulgences  in  Germany)  by  means  of  fome  mer- 
chants who  bnmght  books  on  the  fubje£l  of  religi- 
on into  thole  countries  ;  and  they  are  among  the 
very  lew  in  which  it  made  a  rapid  progrefs  with  lit- 
tle oppufition,or  perfecutionof  the  friends  of  refor- 
mati.in.  Not  that  the  clergy  were  lefs  violent  thaa 
in  other  countries,  or  the  I'overeigns  lefs  difpofed 
to  favour  them;  but  they  were  counttra6led  by 
the  grandees,  tvhofe  powfr  was  fuperior  to  that  of 
any  other  order  of  men.  In  a.  d.  1521  lomc 
merchants  of  Hermanftat  (Cibinium)  brought  fc- 
veral  of  Luther's  books  from  Leiphc  into  Tranfil- 
vania,  as  on  the  fubje6l  of  chrillian  liberty,  auri- 
cular coniellion,  penance,  monadic  vows,  corn- 
munion  in  both  kinds,  and  on  the  Babylonifh  cap- 
tivity ;  by  the  reading  of  which  the  eyes  of  many, 
the  hiftorian  fays,  were  opened. 

At  Vihelyinam  in  upper  Hungary  the  refor- 
mation was  promoted  by  Michael  Sicklofi,  and 
in  Tranfilvania  the  bufinefs  w^s  undertaken  by  two 
perfons  whofe  names  are  not  certainly  known,  but 
D  d  3  one 


aza  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII, 

one  of  them  was  thought  to  have  been  Ambrofe 
of  Sllefia,  and  the  other  George  of  the  order  of 
preaching  friars.  Thefe  preached  with  the  great- 
eft  vehemence  againft  the  abufes  of  popery  at  Her- 
manflat.  Complaint  being  made  of  this,  they 
were  called  to  appear  before  the  bifhop  of  Strigo- 
nia.  How  they  were  treated  by  him  is  not  faid, 
but  foon  after  they  left  the  country.  The  princi- 
pal magiflrate  in  this  city  at  this  time  was  Marcus 
Pefflinger,  and  a  perfon  of  great  experience  and 
prudence.  He  not  only  read  the  works  of  Lu- 
ther himfelf,  but  recommended  the  reading  of  them 
toothers.  He  was  oppofed  by  Mathias  Colman, 
hut  this  perfon  died  foon  after  the  conteft  began. 
A  ciicurnfiance  that  greatly  contributed  to  pro- 
mote the  reformation  in  this  city  was  a  conteft, 
probably  of  fome  ftanding,  between  the  inhabitants 
and  their  bifhop.  King  Lewis  endeavoured  by 
an  cdi6l  daied  at  Buda  in  a.  d.  1522,  to  check 
the  progrefs  of  the  reformation  by  fome  violent 
meafures  ;  but  owing  to  the  interceflion  of  Peft- 
linger,  and  the  abfence  of  the  newly  appointed 
biihop  who  was  then  at  Rome,  the  perfecution  did 
not  take  place.  Another  fevere  edi£l  was  procur- 
ed by  the  clergy  in  a.  d.  1523,  but  nothing  ap- 
pears to  have  been  done  in  conlequence  of  it. 

In  A.  D.  1724,  feveral  perfons  went  from  Hun- 
gary and    Traiifilvania  to  ftudy  at  Wittemberg, 

with 


Sec.  XVI.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     4iiJ^ 

with  a  view  to  qualify  themfelves  to  promote  the 
reformation  with  more  eflFed.  At  the  fame  time 
the  new  biftiop  fent  commiffaries  with  letters  to 
the  {enate  at  Hcrmanftat,  requiring  them  to  exe- 
cute the  king's  edift  ;  and  in  confequence  of  this 
many  of  the  writmgs  of  Luther  were  taken  from 
the  citizens,  and  publickly  burned.  Among  thefe 
was  a  German  pfalter  of  Luther,  which  when  in 
flames  (probably  by  fome  accident  in  flirring 
the  fire,  and  the  dire6lion  of  the  wind)  fell  upon 
the  head  of  one  of  the  commiffaiies  ;  and  whether 
in  confequence  of  the  injury  be  received  from  the 
fire,  or  being,  as  fome  thought,  ftruck  with  terror, 
he  foon  after  died.  However,  the  only  efFe6l  of 
this  meafure  of  the  bifhop  was  that  the  principle:^ 
of  the  reformation  were  from  this  time  more  gen- 
erally and  more  publickly  avowed  than  they  had 
been  before  ;  and  this,  notwitiiflanding  another 
order  of  the  bilbop,  under  pain  of  greater  ex- 
communication, to  prohibit  the  reading  of  the 
books,  and  burning  all  that  couid  be  found  ot 
them. 

In  A.  D.  1525  an  order  was  procured  for  the 
banifhment  ot  aJl  the  Lutherans  out  of  the  king- 
dom, or  10  apprehend  and  burn  them,  but  no  re- 
gard was  paid  to  if; ;  and  the  fame  year  the  refor- 
mation was  preached  at  BuJa,  wheie  the  court 
reiided,  by  Simon  Gryaoeus,  and  Vitus  Vv'eir- 
P  d  4  fhemius, 


*24  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXH. 

ftiemius,  the  prefidents  of  the  public  fchools  in 
that  city.  But  being  obliged  to  fly,  Grynoeus 
went  to  Bafil,  where  he  was  made  profelTor  of  phi- 
lofophy,  and  Vitus  went  to  Wiitemberg,  where  he 
was  made  profeflbr  of  the  Greek  language.  Their 
places  were  fupplied  by  other  perfons  fent  by  Lu- 
ther and  Melanflhon,  and  among  thera  was  John 
Honter,  who  was  followed  by  Leonard  Stokell, 
both  of  whom,  however,  went  to  Tranfilvania. 

In  the  year  following  the  archbifhop  of  Buda, 
feconded  by  the  clamours  of  the  inferior  clergy, 
endeavoured  to  perfuade  the  king  to  deftroy  PefF- 
linger,  and  all  the  other  favourers  of  the  dodrine 
of  Luther  ;  but  he  was  prevented  by  a  formidable 
invafion  of  the  Turks  whom  he  marched  to  op- 
pofe.  He  however,  wrote  to  this  count,  pro- 
mifing  him  his  favour  if  from  that  time  he  would 
do  his  duty  in  exterminating  the  Lutherans.  He, 
however,  deferred  doing  any  thing  till  after  a  jour- 
ney which  he  undertook  to  meet  the  king.  But 
they  never  did  meet,  the  king  being  defeated  and 
killed  in  the  fatal  battle  of  Mohacs. 

Many  of  the  bifhops  who  accompanied  the 
king  in  this  expedition  having  perifhed  with  him, 
their  revenues  were  adrainiftered  by  laymen,  who 
were  the  ^reateft  promoters  of  the  reformation-; 
and  the  return  of  count  Pefflinger  foon  put  an  end 
to  the  proceedings  of  the  monks  in  the  execution 

of 


SeCv  XVI.  THE  CHRISIIAN  CHURCH.        4Qil 

the  edi6ls.  As  they  had  profcribed  George  of 
Silefia,  and  his  companions,  the  count  took  them 
to  his  owu  houfe,  and  encouraged  them  to  preach 
in  the  moil  public  manner;  and  from  this  time 
iall  the  inhabitants  of  Hermanftat,  and  by  degrees 
thofe  of  the  neighbouring  towns,  embraced  the  re- 
formation. Indeed,  after  the  battle  ot  Mohacs, 
moft  of  the  counts  and  barons  of  Hungary  joined 
the  reformers,  and  protefted  their  preachers. 

King  John  being  defeated  by  Ferdinand,  and 
■flying  to  Poland,  left  the  adminiftration  in  the 
hands  of  Alexius  Bethlen,  a  perfon  of  great  mode- 
ration, who  was  urged  in  vain  by  the  catholics  to 
adopt  violent  meafures  ;  and  in  a.  d.  1529,  on  a 
report  that  the  forces  of  Ferdinand  had  been  de- 
feated, the  magiftrates  of  Hermanftat  publiftied  an 
edift,  ordering  the  monks  either  to  abjure  popery, 
or  leave  the  city  on  pain  of  death. 

In  A.  D.  1530,  five  of  the  free  cities  of  Upper 
Hungary  fent  a  confeffion  of  their  Proteftant  faith 
to  Ferdinand,  and  many  perfons  of  the  highefl 
rank  and  the  greateft  power  in  Hungary,  openly 
defended  the  refoimation. 

At  the  return  of  king  John  to  Buda  in  a.  d. 
*5'33'  *-^^  clergy  left  nothing  unattempted  to  in- 
duce him  to  fupprefs  the  reformation  by  the  moft 
violent  methods  ;  and  the  archbifhop  fent  to  pri- 
fon  a  prieft  who  had  preached  againft  the  iafts  of 
D  d  5  the 


42^  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXU 

the  church  of  Rome;  and  after  having  him  fcourg-i 
ed  he  expofed  him  in  the  ftreets,  with  hares,  geefc, 
and  fowls  taftened  to  him,  and  then  had  him  puriued 
by  d^'gs;  in  confequence  of  which  he  died  ;  but 
vithin  a  few  days  after  this,  being  ftruck,  it  was 
fuppofed,  with  remorfe  for  what  he  had  done,  the 
hifhop  became  infane,  and  died. 

In  A.  D.  1535  Matthias  Devai  diftinguifhed 
himfelf  fo  much  by  his  zeal  in  promoting  the  re- 
formation, that  he  was  commonly  called  the  Hun- 
garian Luther  ;  but  he  did  not  adopt  the  fenti- 
ments  of  Luther  on  the  fubje6l  of  the  eucharifl, 
but  leaned  to  thofe  ot  Zuinglius  ;  and  their  diflfer- 
ence  of  opinion  was  the  occafion  of  a  divifion  a- 
mong  the  reformers  in  this  part  of  the  world,  that 
was  prejudicial  to  the  common  caufe  here,  as  it 
was  in  Germany  and  other  places. 

This  Devai  was  not  only  the  caufe  of  the  con- 
verfion  of  Gafpar  Draghius,  a  perfon  of  high  rank, 
who  became  a  patron  of  the  reformers,  but  he 
brought  over  to  his  party  the  noble  city  of  Veheli, 
and  its  neighbourhood.  He  alfo  preached  with 
much  fuccefs  in  Buda.  the  capital  of  the  kingdom, 
and  converted  many  in  the  court  ot  king  John, 
the  rival  ot  Ferdinand,  Being,  however,  appre- 
hended and  imprifoned  at  Buda,  he  was  examin- 
ed by  John  Faber,  thebithop  of  Conllance  ;  and 
when  he  was  going  to  prifon  his  condudor  faying, 


Sec.    XVI.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     43/ 

"  If  you  were  a  chriftian,  I  would  ble(s  you  ;" 
he  replied,  *'  I  do  not  want  your  benediftion.  It 
**  is  God  that  will  blefs  me,  and  have  mercy  on 
*'  me."  How  he  was  delivered  from  his  imprifon- 
ment  does  not  appear.  He  was  again  apprehend- 
ed at  Vienna,  but  by  fome  means  or  other  he  el- 
caped  a  fecond  time.  He  had  a  public  difputation 
with  Szegedinus  a  Francifcan,  the  particulars  of 
which  he  publifhed. 

The  reformation  in  Hungary  was  alfo  greatly 
promoted  by  John  Honter  abovementioned.  He 
was  a  philofopher  and  mathematician,  and  fludied 
firfl  at  Cracow,  and  then  at  Bafil,  drawn  by  the 
great  reputation  of  Reuchlin;  and  returning  to  his 
native  country  in  a.  d.  1533,  he  fet  up  a  printing 
office,  and  firft  publifhed  a  work  of  Luther's  on 
auricular  confeffion,  and  other  works  which  had 
before  been  brought  from  Germany,  and  which 
fold  for  great  prices. 

In  A.  D.  1542  the  fenate  of  Corona  were  in- 
duced by  his  zeal  to  appoint  him  their  preacher, 
in  order  to  eflablifh  the  reformation  in  that  city  ; 
and  he  fucceeded  in  bringing  the  whole  province 
of  Barcia  into  the  reformation.  So  induftrious 
was  he  and  his  coadjutors  m  this  work,  that  before 
the  end  of  the  year  a.  d.  1545  it  had  taken  place 
in  all  that  province  of  Tranfilvania  iq  which  is 
the  city  of  Media,   called  Media   Saxonum,   and 


428  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXII 

there  was  publifhed  a  confeffion  of  the  Proteft- 
ant faith.  The  fame  was  done  at  Eidod,  when 
twenty  three  minifters  of  the  reformation  drew  up 
twelve  articles  of  faith,  and  likewife  profelTed  their 
aflent  to  the  articles  of  that  confeffion  which  haA 
been  prefented  to  the  ftates  of  the  empire  at  Augf- 
burgh. 

This  was  a  great  mortification  to  the  arch- 
bilhop  Martinucius ;  who  had  always  been  an  ad- 
vocate for  violent  meafures,  and  who  had  fome 
time  before  procured  one  of  the  Proteflants  to  be 
burned  alive.  This  perfon,  however,  had  in  fome 
meafure  provoked  his  fate  ;  having  ftruck  a  wo- 
man who  was  worfhipping  before  an  image,  when 
this  prelale  was  attending  the  queen  at  her  en- 
trance into  Waradin.  In  a.  d.  1552  mention  is 
made  of  another  martyr  to  the  Proteftant  caufe  in 
Bafilius  Radon,  but  there  is  no  account  of  the  cir- 
cumftances  of  his  martyrdom;  and  the fe  are  the 
only  examples  of  Proteftant  martyrs,  that  I  can 
find  in  this  country. 

The  principal  of  the  grandees  who  oppofed  the 
violent  proceedings  of  this  ecclefiaftic,  was  Uiban 
Batjani,  whom  he  procured  to  be  poifoned  in  a. 
D.  1546;  and  even  when  he  had  been  honoura- 
bly buried,  he  had  his  body  taken  out  of  the  grave, 
and  expofed  on  a  dunghill. 

Under 


Sfic.XVI.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    423 

Under  Ferdinand  the  Proteftants  had  better 
treatment ;  for  tho'  he  favoured  the  catholics,  in 
feme  articles  which  were  drawn  up  for  compofing 
the  differences  of  religion,  in  a.  d.  1548  ;  yet  by 
the  oppoGtion  and  influence  of  the  grandees,  c(- 
pecially  of  Alexius  Turzo,  and  his  two  fons,  e- 
qually  zealous  with  himfelf  in  the  caufe  of  refor- 
mation, the  preachers  were  prote6led. 

In  A.  D.  1549  there  was  a  numerous  fynod  of 
the  Proteftants  at  Temeswar,  when  they  made 
thirteen  canons  concerning  the  duty  of  paftors.  In 
the  fame  year  died  John  Honter,  famous  for  his 
writings  and  other  fervices  in  the  caufe  of  the  re- 
formation, and  of  general  literature.  At  this  time, 
however,  flaurifhed  Stephen  Szegedinus,  who  after 
Mr.  Devai  diftinguifhed  himfelf  the  moft;  in  the 
fame  caufe.  He  alfo  followed  Devai  in  adhering 
to  the  doftrine  of  Zuingiius  on  the  fubje6l  of  the 
eucharift. 

In  A.  D.  1554  the  difpute  about  the  eucharift 
occafioned  much  diflurbance  in  the  ^Proteftant 
churches  of  thefe  countries  ;  and  in  the  fame  year 
another  difference  arofe  among  them  occafioned 
by  the  opinion  of  Francis  Stancarus  concerning 
the  mediatorial  cffice  of  Chrift,  which  he  faid  de- 
pended upon  his  human  nature  only,  and  not  at 
all  on  his  divine  nature;  and  for  this  opinion  he 
fuffered  fomething  like  a  perfecution  from  the  great 
^  majority 


430  THE  HISTORY  OF         Peh.  XXII. 

majority,  who  dilTented  from  him.  And  yet  this 
fame  Stancarus  urged  it  upon  queen  Ifabella,  and 
the  grandees  of  Tranfilvania,  to  punifti  heretics 
with  death ;  and  aniong  them  he  mentioned  Fran- 
cis David,  an  unitarian,  as  deferving  to  be  put  to 
death,  for  declaring  war,  as  he  had  faid,  againfl: 
Jefus  Chrift;  faying  it  was  of  divine  right  that 
they  and  their  works  fhould  be  committed  to  the 
flames. 

In  A.  D.  1555  the  emperor  Ferdinand  found  it 
neceffary  to  allow  the  free  exercife  of  religion  to 
five  free  cities  of  Upper  Hungary.  Bat  the  Ana- 
baptifts  were  perfecuted  in  thcfe  countries  as  well 
as  in  all  other  places.  This  year  they  were  order- 
ed to  leave  the  kingdom  in  one  month,  and  tho' 
for  fome  time  the  nobles  detained  fome  of  them 
who  were  artifans,  they  could  not  do  it  long. 

In  A.  D.  1559  there  was  a  public  difputation 
between  the  Lutherans  and  the  Sacramentarians, 
which  the  Lutheran  reporter  faid  ended  in  favour 
of  his  party  ;  and  in  the  year  ^following  after  ano- 
ther conference  the  Sacramentarians  were  abfo- 
lutely  excluded  from  communion  with  the  Lu- 
therans. But  it  appears  that  in  a.  d.  1562,  a 
great  number  of  the  Lutherans  embraced  their  opi- 
nion. 

The  lad  article  that  I  have  to  mention  relating 
to  this  period  is  that  in  a.  d.  ir^G^,  in  an  aflembly 

^   •  of 


Sftc.  XVI.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    431 

of  the  ftates  at  Tcmeswar,  it  was  decreed  that  all 
perfons  fhould  beat  full  liberty  to  follow  whate- 
ever  mode  of  religion  they  pleafed  without  difturb- 
iriGj  one  another,  and  in  a.  d.  1564  Maximilian  II 
granted  the  fame  liberty  to  a  diftnfl;  in  Hungary 
inhabited  chiefly  by   miners. 

From  that  time  to  the  prefent  even  Unitarians 
are  not  only  exempt  from  perfecution,  but  enjoy 
every  civil  privilege,  at  ieaft  in  Tranfilvania,  of 
which  thpy  occupy  a  large  diftridl,  which  was  once 
pointed  out  to  me  on  the  map  of  that  country  by 
a  perfon  who  came  from  Prefburg. 

This  account  of  the  reformation  in  Hungary 
and  Tranfilvania  is  abriged  from  Lavipe's  Hijlory 
of  it  in  Qiiario,  printed  at  Utrecht  in  a,  d.  '728, 


SECTION 


432  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 


SECTION  XVII. 

Amort  particular  Account  of  fame  of  the  Englijk 
Martyrs, 

X  HO'  I  have  undertaken  to  write  nothing 
more  than  a  general  hijlory  of  the  chriftian  church, 
I  think  it  right  to  give  occafionally  particular  ac- 
counts of  transa6lions, ,  efpecially  when  they  feem 
to  be  neceflary  to  give  a  juft  idea  of  the  manners 
and  ipirit  of  the  times  to  which  they  relate,  which 
fuccinft  and  general  accounts  can  never  do  ;  and 
jfet  this  is  always  confidergd  as  one  principal  ob- 
je6t  in  writing  hiftory.  Now  nothing  can  contri- 
bute more  to  give  a  jufl  idea  of  the  fpirit  of  the 
difiPerent  parties,  viz.  the  Catholics  and  Proteft- 
ants,  at  the  time  of  the  reformation,  than  the  hif- 
tory of  the  perfecution  of  the  latter  by  the  former, 
where  we  fee  the  temper  and  behaviour  of  both. 

I  alfo  chufe  to  be  more  particular  in  this 
cafe,  becaufe  fuch  narratives  tend  in  an  eminent 
manner  to  infpire  the  true  fpirit  of  chriflianity, 
which  is  my  principal  objeft  in  writing  this  hifto- 
ry ;  and  in  peaceable  times  this  fpirit  is  too  apt  to 

be 


Sec.  XVir.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    43* 

be  lofl  in  that  of  the  world,  there  being  nothing  in 
thefe  circumftances  to  draw  our  attention  to  it, 
and  excite  it.  In  fuch  times  as  thefe  there  arc  but 
few,  I  fear,  who  intereft  themfelves  in  books  of 
martyrology,  and  therefore  they  mufl  be  ignorant 
of  fome  of  the  mod  interefling  and  inftrudlive  ar- 
ticles in  ecclcfiaftical  hiflory.  For  fuch  general 
hiftories  as  that  of  Mofheim  and  others,  tho'  va- 
luable on  feveral  accounts,  contain  nothing  of  this 
kind.  If  this  fubje6l  be  thought  irkfome  or  dif- 
gufting,  tho'  it  ought  not  to  be  fo  to  any  chrifti- 
an,  the  feftions  relating  to  it  will  have  their  fepa- 
rate  titles,  fo  that  they  may  be  paffed  over  without 
any  prejudice  to  the  reflof  the  work. 

In  perufing  thefe  accounts  readers  of  the  prefent 
more  civilized  age  will  be  fhocked  at  the  unneceffa- 
ry  cruelties  with  which  perfons,  and  perfons  of  the 
moft  refpe6lable  chara£lers.were  then  treated.  But  it 
was  the  obje£l;  of  thofe  who  were  in  power  to  bear 
down  all  thatoppofed  them  by  any  methods,  how- 
ever barbarous  and  illegal.  For  the  fake  of  the 
Eng^ifli  reader  I  fliall  fele6l  accounts  of  a  few  of 
the  martyrs  in  the  time  of  queen  Mary,  abridged 
irom  the  much  larger  accounts  in  that  mod  valua- 
able,  tho'  now  too  much  neglefted,  work  of  Mr, 
Fox,  intitied  The  ABs  and  Monuments  of  thz  Churchy 
but  more  commonly  known  by  the  tide  of  The 
Book  of  Martyrs,  beginning  with  John  Rogers, 
Vol.  V.  £e  who 


'Ij4  THEHISrORYOF        PER.XXIIe 

who  was  the  firfl  that  was  executed  in  this  reign 
for  his  adherence  to  the  principles  of  Prottftan- 
ifm. 

Mr.  Rogers  was  educated  at  Cambridge,  whei"5 
he  difliaguifhed  himfe  f  by  his  application  to  li- 
terature, and  his  good  conduft.  After  this  he  was 
chofcn  by  the  fociety  of  Merchant  Adventurers  to 
be  their  chaplain  at  Antwerp  in  the  reign  of  Hen- 
ry VIII  ;  and  in  this  fituation  he  gave  great  fatis- 
faftion  to  his  employers.  Here  it  was  that  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  William  Tindal  and  Miles 
Coverdale,  who  had  left  England  on  account  of 
their  religion,  which  by  their  means  he  was  led  to 
embrace,  and  he  affifted  them  in  their  tranflation 
ol  the  fcriptures  into  Englifh.  Here  he  married; 
and  going  to  Wittemberg  he  made  farther  progrefs 
in  theology ;  and  being  a  great  proficient  in  the 
German  language,  the  charge  of  a  congregation  was 
committed  to  him. 

On  the  acceffion  of  king  Edward  he  left  his 
eftabllfhment  at  Wittemberg,  and  returned  to  his 
native  country, without  any  other  profpeft  than  that 
of  promoting  the  reformation.  But  Ridley,  then 
biihop  of  London,  knowing  his  worth,  made  him 
a  prebendary  of  St.  Paul's  church,  and  the  dean 
and  chapter  chofe  him  to  be  their  reader  of  divin- 
ity ;  ^nd  this  duty  he  difcharged  till  the  acceffion 
of  queen  Mary, 

-When 


Src.XVIt.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     4^5 

When  (he  came  to  the  tower,  it  being  the  duty 
of  Mr.  Rogers  to  preach  at  Paul's  crofs,  he  fo 
earneftly  exhorted  the  people  againft  the  doftrines 
of  popery,  that  he  was  rummoned  before  the  coun- 
cil to  give  an  account  of  his  fermon  ;  and  this  he 
did  with  fo  much  firmnefs,  and  yet  with  prudence, 
that  at  this  time  he  was  difmilled.  But  after  the 
proclamation  concerning  preaching  he  was  called 
before  the  council  a  lecond  time  ;  and  tho'  he 
clearly  forefaw  his  danger,  and  had  a  wife  and 
ten  children  to  provide  for  (which  he  could  eafily 
have  done  in  Germany)  he  did  not  chufe  to  flee, 
when  it  was  in  his  power. 

Not  giving  fatista6lion  to  the  council,  he  was 
at  firft  made  a  prifoner  in  his  own  houfe,  but  after 
about  half  a  year  he  was,  at  the  procurement  of 
biftiop  Bonner,  fent  to  Newgate,  and  there  con- 
fined with  the  word  criminals;  and  all  that  is 
known  of  him,  and  his  examinations, (S:c.  from  this 
time  we  learn  from  an  account  drawn  up  by  him- 
felf,  left  in  his  cell  after  his  death,  and  fo  concealed 
that  his  enemies  had  not  found  it.  Otherwife  it 
certainly  would  never  have  feen  the  light. 

After  having  been  kept  a  clofe  prifoner  in  thefc 
circumftances  till  the  22d  of  January  a.  d.  1555, 
which  was  nearly  a  year  and  an  half  ;  he  was 
brought  before  bifhop  Gardiner  the  chancellor, 
jind  the  rell  of  the  privy  council ;  when  being  a(k- 
E  e  2  cd 


436  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

cdifhe  would  conform  to  the  catholic  church,  as 
the  nation  in  general  had  done,  and  receive  a  par- 
don, he  anfwered  in  the  negative  with  great  firm- 
nefs  ;  and  after  a  long  altercation  about  the  fupreme 
head  of  the  church,  the  fervice  in  Latin,  and  the 
marriage  ofpriefts,  to  which  his  own  marriage  had 
given  occafion,  he  was  remanded  to  prifon. 

In  the  night  between  the  28th  and  29th  of  the 
fame  month  he  was  brought  out  again,  when  he  re- 
monftrated  with  his  judges  on  the  fubjeft  of  his 
imprifonment,  which  had  been  contrary  to  the  law 
as  it  then  flood,  and  the  unreafonablenefs  of  main- 
taining  himfeif  and  his  large  family,  when  his  fa- 
lary,  the  means  of  his  fubfiflence,  had  been  taken 
from  him.  But  not  anfwering  to  fatisfaftion  with 
refpeft  to  the  doftrine  of  the  eucharift,  he  was  in- 
formed that  with  the  hope  of  his  recanting,  they 
would  forbear  to  proceed  any  farther  till  the  next 
day,  when  about  nine  o'clock  he  was  brought  up 
again  ;  but  beginning  to  charge  his  judges  with 
temporizing,  as  they  had  done  in  the  former  reigns, 
he  was  not  allowed  to  fpeak  any  more,  but  was 
fentenced  to  be  degraded  and  ordered  for  executi- 
on, together  with  bifhop  Hooper;  and  then  the 
ftieriff  conduced  them  both  to  Newgate. 

The  only  requefl  that  Mr.  Rogers  made,  was 
that  his  wife  might  be  permitted  to  have  accefs  to 
him  the  ftiort  time  that  he  had  to  live,  but  this  was 

denied 


Sec.  XVII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH^    4ST 

denied  him,  Gardiner  faying  that  fhe  was  not  his 
wife.  He  replied  that  (he  had  been  fo  eighteen" 
years,  and  farther  faid  that,  tho'  they  were  oflFend- 
ed  with  the  marriage  of  priefts,  they  made  no  ob- 
jeftion  to  their  open  whoredom.  For  that  in 
Wales  every  prieft  had  his  whore  living  without 
difguife  with  him,  and  that  the  priefts  in  France 
and  Germany  did  the  fame.  To  this  no  reply 
was  made. 

On  Monday  the  4th  of  February,  early  in  the 
morning,  he  was  informed  that  he  muft  prepare 
for  execution  that  very  day.  He  was,  however, 
firft  carried  before  bifhop  Bonner,  who  degraded 
him  in  due  form,  firfl;  drefling  him  like  a  prieft,  and 
then,  with  certain  ceremonies,  taking  thofe  gar- 
ments off.  At  this  time  he  again  requefted  that 
he  might  be  permitted  to  fpeak  to  his  wife,  who 
being  a  ftranger  in  the  country,  and  with  a  large 
family,  might  want  fome  advice  ;  but  he  was  again 
peremptorily  refufed. 

As  he  was  on  his  way  to  Smithfield,  the  place 
deftined  for  his  execution,  he  was  met  in  the  crowd 
by  his  wife,  who  had  the  youngeft  child  in  her 
arms,  and  was  accompanied  by  two  others  ;  but 
this  affe6ling  fight  did  not  move  him  from  his  pur- 
pofe;  and  when  he  had  an  offer  of  a  pardon  at 
the  ftake,  he  would  not  accept  of  it  on  the  condi- 
tion of  his  recanting.  Not  being  permitted  to  ad- 
£  e  3  drefs 


Adf  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXIL 

drefs  the  people,  who  attended  in  great  crouds,  he 
only  fung  as  he  went  along  the  pfalm  which  be- 
gins with  the  word  mijererc,  and  he  fufFered  with 
tiie  greateft  conflancy.  It  is  conjeftured  that  he 
particularly  wifhed  to  fpeak  to  his  wife  to  inform 
her  of  the  MS.  whicK  he  had  written  in  the  prifon, 
and  which  was  found  by  one  of  his  fons,  when 
they  went  to  the  place,  after  it  had,  no  doubt,  been 
examined  by  the  keeper. 

With  the  fame  conftancy  died  many  others  in 
thefe  times,  who,  like  Mr,  Rogers,  had  themfelves 
"been  advocates  for  the  dodlrine  of  burning  heretics. 
But  this  opinion,  abhorrent  as  it  is  now  ac- 
knowledged to  be  to  reafon  and  chriftianity,  was 
then  nearly,  if  not  wholly,  univerfal  ;  fo  that  the 
holding  of  it  argues  no  particular  difpolition  to 
cruelty.  Protellants  of  all  defcriptions,  when  .in 
power,  as  well  as  the  catholics,  acled  upon  it. 

Bilhop  Hooper,  as  \  have  obferved,  was  con- 
lined  in  Newgate  at  the,  fame  time  with  Mr.  Ro- 
gers, and  his  hiftory  and  martyrdom  is  the  next 
tjiat  I  fhall  give  an  account  of. 

He  was  educated  at  Oxford,  and  there  he  was 
equally  noted  for  his  love  of  literature,  and  his 
zeal  for  religion  ;  but  the  ^iyl  articles  of  Henry 
"S^ II I  being  then  publifhcd,  and  he  not  approving 
ot  them,  fome  divines  of  Oxford  gave  Ijim  fo  much 
trouble  that  he  left  the  univeiiity,  arid  was  receiv- 
ed 


Sec.  XVII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      489 

ed  in  the  capacity  of  Ileward  by  fir  Thomas  Arun- 
del, who,  tho'  a  zealous  catholic,  was  much  pleaf- 
cd  with  his  behaviour  ;  and  with  the  friendly  view 
of  reclaiming  him,  he  fent  him  on  a  melTage  to  the 
bifhop  of  Winchefter,  with  a  letter  iniorming  him 
of  his  defign.  By  the  bifhop  he  was  detained  four 
or  five  days,  in  which  his  lordfhip  endeavoured  to 
convince  him  of  his  errors  ;  but  not  fucceeding  he 
fent  him  back  with  much  commendation  of  his  a- 
bility  and  learning  ;  but  from  this  time  he  con- 
ceived a  rooted  averfion  to  him  ©n  account  of  his 
opinions,  and,  as  he  would  naturally  think,  his  ob- 
ftinacy. 

Being  warned  by  a  friend  of  his  danger  in  con- 
tinuing in  the  family  of  Mr.  Arundel,  he  fled  to 
France,  but  foen  returned,  and  was  received  bv  a 
Mr.  Sentlow  till,  a  fnare  being  laid  for  him,  he 
went  to  Germany,  where  he  formed  a  connexion 
with  feveral  learned  Proteftants,  and  efpecially  at; 
Bafil  and  Zurich,  where  he  formed  a  find  fricnd- 
fliip  with  Mr.  Bullenger  There  he  applied  himfclf 
to  the  fludy  of  Hebreu',  and  alfo  married. 

On  the  acceffion  of  king  Edward  he  took  an 
afFetlionatc  leave  of  Mr.  Bullenger  and  his  other 
friends  at  Znrich,  and  returned  to  England;  and 
arriving  in  London  he  never  failed  to  preach  once, 
and  often  twice,  every  day  ;  and  being  very  elo- 
quent, he  always  had  crowded  audiences.  Boing 
£  e  4  called 


440  THE  HISTORY  OF       Po.  XXII. 

called  to  preach  before  the  king,  he  was  foon  ad- 
vanced to  the  biflioprick  of  Gloucefter,  and  after 
two  years  that  of  Worcefter  was  added  to  it.  The 
duties  of  this  high  office  he  difcharged  with  fingu* 
lar  adiduity  and  fuccefs.  A<i  he  had  always  ob- 
je6led  to  the  popifh  veftments,  he  was  by  the  king's 
authority  excufed  from  ufing  them  at  his  inftallati- 
on,  viiich  gave  much  ofFence  to  the  other  bifliops. 
To  comply  therefore  with  his  brethren  as  far  as 
he  could,  he  confented  to  be  habited  as  they  were 
when  he  preached  before  the  king. 

On  the  acceffion  of  queen  Mary  this  excellent 
bilhop  was  one  of  the  firft  that  was  fent  for  to  ap- 
pear before  Gardiner  and  the  refl  of  the  privy  coun- 
cil in  London ;  and  tho'  he  was  fully  apprized  of 
his  danger,  he  refufed  to  leave  the  kingdom  any 
more;  faying  that,  tho'  he  had  fled  before,  he  was 
now  determined  to  live  or  die  with  his  flock. 

His  appearance  before  the  council  was  on  the 
firft  of  September  a.  d.  1553,  when,  after  hc'in<r 
infulted  by  Gardiner,  he  was  fent  to  the  Fleet  pri- 
fon,  where  he  was  fubje6ted  to  the  harfheft  treat- 
ment, not  being  allowed  to  leave  his  room  except 
juft  to  take  his  meals,  and  for  this  he  paid  an  unrea- 
fonable  fum.  The  keeper  being  a  creature  of  Gar- 
diner's, he  was  by  his  means  mofe  ftri6lly  confined, 
and  put  into  a  place  where  nothing  was  given 
him  but  a  bed   of  ftraw  with  a  rotten  coverlet,  a 

tick, 


S£c.  XVII.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    441 

tick,  and  a  few  feathers ;  but  afterwards  fome  cha- 
ritable perfon  fent  him  a  bed.  One  fide  of  this 
place  was  the  link  and  filth  of  the  houfe,  and  on 
the  other  fide  the  town  ditch,  fo  that  with  the  flench 
of  the  place  he  contrafted  feveral  difeafes.  When 
in  this  fituation  he  was  fometimes  near  dying,  and 
called  for  help,  the  warden, who  heard  him, ordered 
the  door  to  be  kept  clofed,  and  fuflFered  no  fer-. 
vant  to  go  near  him  ;  faying  that  if  he  died  there 
would  be  a  good  riddance  of  him,  fo  that  he  ex- 
pe6>ed  to  die  before  he  fhould  be  brought  to  his 
trial. 

The  year  following,  on  the  igth  of  March,  he 
was  again  brought  before  his  judges,  and  without 
being  allowed  to  fpeakfor  himfelfhe  was  fentenc- 
ed,  on  account  of  his  marriage,  to  be  deprived  of 
his  preferment.  Being  alfo  queflioned  on  the 
fubjeQ  of  the  eucharifl,  and  not  giving  fatisfa£li- 
on,  he  was  by  the  bifhop  of  Chichefter  called  a 
hypocrite,  and  by  Tonftal  and  others,  a  beaft. 

-On  the  22nd  of  January  a.  d.  1555  he  was 
brought  before  the  commiflioners  at  the  houfe  of 
bifhop  Gardener,  but  giving  them  no  more  fatis- 
faftion  than  he  had  done  before,  he  was  remand- 
ed to  prilon.  On  the  28th  of  the  fame  month  he 
was  brought  before  them  again,  when  both  he  and 
Mr.  Rogers  were  informed  that  they  would  be 
heard  again  the  next  day  ;  and  then,  as  they  could 
E  e  5  not 


442  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

not  be  perfuaded  to  recant,  they  were  fentenced  to 
be  degraded  and  delivered  to  the  fecular  power  to 
be  executed,  after  which  they  were  conduced  co 
Newgate.  On  their  way  thither  great  crowds 
prelFed  to  fee  them,  praifing  God  for  their  con- 
flancy  in  the  doSlrine  which  they  had  preached. 

In  Newgate  they  were  kept  fix  days  without 
any  perfon  being  permitted  to  fee  or  converfe  with 
them.  Bonner,  however,  and  other  catholics 
vifited  them  in  order  to  induce  them,  if  p  )ffible, 
to  recant,  but  this  was  without  any  efFeft.  There 
was,  however,  a  report  circulated  that  the  bifhop 
liad  recanted,  and  it  gave  him  feme  difturbance. 
But  this  did  not  continue  long.  For  on  Monday, 
the  2d  of  February,  the  bifhop  of  London  came 
and  performed  the  ceremony  of  their  degredation; 
and  the  fame  night  the  bifhop  was  informed  that 
he  was  to  be  carried  to  Gloucefter,  and  fufFer  there; 
at  which  he  v/as  much  rejoiced,  fince  he  fhould 
then  die  in  the  midft  of  his  flock. 

When  they  were  on  their  journey  his  conduc- 
tors always  took  care  to  avoid  the  inns  that  be  had 
been  ufed  to  frequent,  and  at  Cirenceflef  they 
tookhnn  to  the  lioufe  of  a  woman  who  had  been 
iifed  to  revile  him  ;  but,  contrary  to  their  expec- 
tation, flie  flhewcd  him  every  mark  of  kindnefs,  la- 
menting his  cafe  with  tears.  When  they  came 
near  to  Glouccflc.i,  they  were  met  by  fo  great   a 

c'-jwd 


S£C.  XVII.  THE  CHRISIIAN  CHURCH.      -AS 

crowd  of  his  friends,  that  the  aid  of  the  mayor  and 
his  officers  was  thought  necellary  for  his  guard. 
He  was,  however,  peife£lly  compofed,  ate  a  hearty 
fupper,  and  flept  foundly  as  ulual  ;  but  the  re- 
mainder ot  the  night,  and  all  the  next  day,  he  paflT- 
ed  in  a6ls  of  devotion. 

When  the  fhenfF,  who  was  to  fee  him  execu- 
ted, waited  upon  him  the  next  morning,  he  faid  he 
had  only  one   requeft  to  make,    which    was  that 
they  would  make  a  quick  fire,  and   difpatch    him 
as  foon  as  poflTible.     At  five  o'clock  that  night  he 
went  to  bed,  and  flept  foundly  as  before,  hut  em- 
ployed the    remainder  of   the    night,  as    he  had 
done  the  precediug  day,  and  at  nine   he  was  con- 
duced to  the  place  of  his  execution,    attended  by 
a  prodigious  crowd,  but  he  was   not  peimitted   to 
make  any  addrefs  to  them.     After  a  folemn  prayer 
he  undreiTed  himfelf,  and  was  bound  with  an  iron 
hoop  to  the  Hake,  tho'  he  aflfured  them  that  it  was 
not  necellary,  for   that    he   (hould   be   quiet,  and 
give  them  no  trouble.     They  allowed  him  to  put 
a  bag  of  gunpowder  between  his  legs,   and  with 
grecit  calmnefs  he  (hewed  them  how  to  place  the 
faggots.     Bundles  of  reeds    being  given  him,  he 
killed  them,  and  placed  one  uqder  each  arm. 

Vv'hen  the  fire  was  lighted,  the  faggo'.s  were 
found  to  be  fo  green,  that  the  heat  only  fcorchcd 
him,  and  after  fomc  lime  drier  faggots  were  brought, 

but 


4U  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXH. 

but  dill  the  wind  blew  the  flame  in  fuch  a  man- 
ner that  his  lower  parts  only  were  affefted.  In 
this  ftate  of  extreme  torture  he  was  heard  to 
pray,  faying,  "  Jefus,  thou  fon  of  David,  have 
*'  mercy  on  me,  and  receive  my  foul.'*  Then, 
wiping  his  eyes,  he  called  for  more  fire.  With  the 
third  fire  the  gunpowder  exploded,  but  fo  as  to  be 
of  little  fervice  to  him.  He  kept  praying  as  long 
as  he  was  able  to  fpeak,  flriking  on  his  breaft  with 
one  of  his  hands  till  it  fell  oflF,  and  then  with  the 
other,  till,  on  its  touching  the  hot  iron  hoop,  it 
fluck  fall  to  it,  and  prefently  after  this  falling  for- 
wards, he  expired.  Tho'  owing  to  the  unfavoura- 
able  circumftances  above  mentioned,  he  was  for 
three  quarters  of  an  hour  in  extreme  torture,  he 
continued,  the  hiftorian  fays,  quiet  as  a  lamb,  ne- 
ver moving  his  body,  tho'  his  lower  parts  were  fo 
burned,  that  before  he  died  his  bowels  fell  out. 

Willing  to  complete  this  fefltion  by  a  third 
example  of  thofe  noble  martys,  I  was  a  long  time 
undetermined  which  to  feleft,  from  fo  great  a  num- 
ber that  prefented  themfelves  in  Mr.  Fox's  book; 
all  the  cafes  having  in  them  fomething  particu- 
larly deferving  notice.  Having  given  the  preced- 
ing account  of  bifliop  Hooper,  I  pafs  over  the 
cafes  of  the  bifhops  Cranmer,  Latimer,  and  Rid- 
ley, efpecially  as  the  lives  of  two  of  them  have 
been  excellently  written,  and  in  a  popular  man- 
ner, 


Sec.  XVII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    AiS 

ner,  by  Mr.  Gilpin,  and  on  the  whole  I  have 
thought  it  moft  eligible  to  take  that  of  Mr,  Bradm 
ford,  tho'  for  a  long  time  I  hefitated  between  his 
cafe  and  that  of  Mr.  Taylor  of  Hadley  in  Suffolk; 
efpecially  asl  had  been  upon  the  fpot  where  he  fuf- 
fered,  and  witneffed  the  veneration  with  which  his 
memory  is  ftill  cherifhed  in  that  town,  fo  that  tho* 
he  has  been  fo  long  dead  he  yd  fpeaketh. 

Mr  John  Bradford  was  born  at  Manchefler  in 
Lancafhire,  and  was  not  originally  defigned  for 
any  of  the  learned  profeflions,  but  entered  into 
the  fervice  of  Sir  John  Harrington,  who  had  great 
employments  under  Henry  VIII  and  Edward  VI  ; 
and  by  his  fkill  in  writing  and  accompts,  as  well 
as  by  his  general  behaviour,  he  gained  his  entire 
confidence.  Tho'  it  was  probable  that  in  this  fi- 
tuation  he  might  have  acquired  a  decent  fortune, 
he  quitted  this  employment,  and  appears  for  fome 
time  to  have  applied  to  the  ftudy  of  the  law  in  the 
Temple;  but  afterwards  he  went  to  the  univerfity 
of  Cambridge,  with  a  view  to  qualify  himfelf  forthe 
chriftian  miniftry,  and  there  he  gained  fo  much 
favour  by  his  diligence  and  proficiency  in  his  flu- 
dies,  that  after  one  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  de- 
gree of  mafter  of  arts,  and  foon  after  was  chofen 
fellow  of  Pembroke  college.  Here  he  particular- 
ly recommended  himfelf  to  Martin  Bucer,  one  of 
the  moft  eminent  of  the  reformers,  who  greatly  en- 
couraged 


416  THE  HISTORY  oV  Per.  XXlI 

couraged  him  to  undertake  the  office  of  preacher. 
In  confequence  of  this  he  was  ordained  by  Ridley 
the  bifliop  ot  London,  and  was  made  a  preben- 
dary of  St.  Paul's  Church. 

In  the  faithful  and  laborious  difcharge  of  his 
duty  in  this  fituation  he  continued  three  years; 
but  on  the  acceflion  of  queen  Mary  he  was  appre- 
hended, and  fent  to  the  Tower  on  a  charge  of  fedi- 
Uon,  tho'  his  behaviour  entitled  him  to  the  thanks 
of  the  clergy  and  the  court.  For  when  the  bifhop 
of  Bath  preached  at  St  Paul's  crofs,  with  a  view  to 
reconcile  the  people  to  the  change  of  meafures 
that  was  to  take  place,  and  was  fo  much  infulted 
by  the  people,  that  he  was  in  danger  of  his  life, 
Mr.  Bradford,  who  was  a  great  favourite  with 
them,  protefled  him ;  and  preaching  at  Bow 
church  the  Sunday  following  he  fharply  reprov- 
ed the  people  for  their  diforderly  behaviour,  at 
the  fame  time  that  he  exhorted  them  to  adhere  to 
their  principles  of  proteflantifm. 

From  the  Tower  he  was  removed  to  the  king's 
bench  prifon,  and  there  the  keeper  had  fo  much 
confidence  in  him,  that  he  permitted  him  to  go  out 
whenever  he  pleafed.and  he  always  returned  at  the 
time  that  he  promifed,  tho'  he  might  have  made 
his   efcape. 

On  the  2 2d,  and  again  on  the  29th  of  January, 
1555,  he  was  brought  btlore  the  council,  and  af- 
ter 


Sec.   XVII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.   447 

ter  fuch  an  examination,  and  luch  infults,  as  Mr. 
Rogers  and  bilhop  Hooper  had  experienced  before 
him,  he  was  fentenced  as  they  were,  to  be  degrad- 
ed and  burned,  and  then  was  fent  to  the  Counter 
prifon  in  the  Poultry. This  was  after  he  had  been  a 
year  and  a  half  in  the  king's  bench;  and  wherever 
he  was  confined  he  exerted  himfelf  fo  much  in  ex- 
horting his  fellow  prifoners,  and  preaching  to  them, 
and  to  others  who  came  to  the  prifon  to  hear  him, 
that  he  was  of  eminent  ufe,  and  he  was  held  in  the 
higheft  efteem  on  that  account. 

When  he  was  in  the  Counter  he  had  notice 

given  him  that  he  was  to  be  removed  to  Newgate, 

and  executed  ihe  day  following;  and  on  hearing 

this  he  took  off  his  cap,  and  faid,   "  I  thank  God 

*«  for   it.     The    Lord    make    me    worthy   of  it." 

The  prayer  which  he  made  on  that   occafion  was 

highly  edifying  to  many  who  were  prefent;   ar-l 

when  he  left  the  place  all  the  prifoners,   as  wul  -.' 

the  jailer's  family,    bid  him   farewell   with  many 

tears. 

His    removal    to    Newgate  had   been  in    the 

night,  between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock,  it  being 
thought  that  at  that  time  nobody  would  be  in  the 
ftrcets  ;  but  they  u-ere  crowded  with  people,  who 
were  loud  in  their  exprelTions  of  efteem,  and  ex- 
hortations to  conflancy.  On  the  day  of  his  remo- 
val 


44»  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

val  from  Newgate  all  Smithfield  was  crowded  by 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  becaufe  it  was  fuppo- 
fed  that,  in  order  to  avoid  a  crowd,  his  execution 
would  be  at  that  early  hour,  but  it  was  nine  before 
he  was  aftually  brought. 

As  he  went  along  a  brother  in  law  taking  him 
alFeftionately  by  the  hand,  one  of  the  fherifFs  offi- 
cers broke  his  head  with  his  ftafF.  Being  come  to 
the  place  of  execution,  he  firll  proftrated  himfelf 
on  the  ground  in  filent  prayer  ;  and  then,  having 
flripped  himfelf  to  his  fhirt,  he  calmly  went  to  the 
flake,  and  fufFered  without  any  other  indication  than 
that  of  joy,  together  with  a  young  man,  an  ap- 
prentice, of  the  name  of  John  Leaf.  At  this  time 
many  perfons  in  the  ordinary  ranks  of  life  profelf- 
ed  the  principles  of  the  reformation,  and  fuffered 
for  them,  with  as  much  firmnefs  as  thofe  who  had 
had  a  liberal  education  ;  and  women  fhewed  as 
much  fortitude  as  men. 

Harlh  as  the  treatment  of  thefe  excellent  per- 
fons will  appear  to  be  in  thefe  days  of  greater  hu- 
manity and  juftice,  it  will  be  feen  to  have  been 
mild  when  compared  with  that  of  the  French  Pro- 
teftants  in  the  next  period,  fome  examples  of  which 
I  fhall  there  exhibit,  with  the  fame  view  with 
which  I  have  produced  thefe.  I  wifh  the  reading 
of  fuch  accounts  was  fo  general,  as  to  make  thefe 
fe6lions  in  my  work  unnecefTary. 

There 


Sec.  XVII.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     449 

There  is  a  circumllance  deferving  of  particular 
notice  in  the  hiftory  of  martyrdoms,  which  is  that 
ftrong  mental  feelings  overpower,  and  in  fome 
meafure  counteract,  thofe  of  the  bodily  fenfes ; 
fo  that  the  pain  of  torture  is  lefs  fenfibly  felt. 

This  was  exemplified  in  the  cafe  of  Thomas 
Tomkins.  The  cruel  Bonner,  thinking  to  over- 
come his  conflancy  by  the  fenfe  of  pain,  had  a 
lighted  candle  held  under  his  hand  in  his  own  pre- 
fence  till,  as  the  hillorian  (dys,  "  the  finews  (hrunk, 
*'  and  the  veins  burft  ;''  and  yet  he  afterwards  told 
a  friend  of  his,  that  "  his  fpirit  was  fo  wrapt  that 
*'  he  felt  no  pain."  Soon  after  this  he  was  burned 
at  Smithficld,  but  nothing  farther  is  faid  of  him. 
Fox,  p.  154. 

I  fhall  recite  another  inftanceof  a  fimilar  na- 
ture. Thomas  Hawkes  being  fcntcnced  to  be 
burned  alive,  fome  of  his  friends,  who  expefted  the 
fame  fate,  delired  him  to  give  them  a  token  when 
he  was  in  the  fire,  whether  the  pain  was  fuch  as  to 
be  in  any  degree  tolerable  ;  fo  that,  as  they  faid, 
"  a  man  might  keep  his  mind  quiet  and  patient." 
If  it  was  fo  tolerable,  they  defired  him  to  fhew  it 
by  lifting  up  his  hands.  Accordingly  when,  as 
the  hiflorian  fays,  "  he  had  continued  long  in  the 
*'  fire,  fo  that  his  fpeech  was  taken  away  by  the  vi- 
«'  olence  of  the  flame,  his  fkin  almoft  drawn  toge- 
"  ther,  and  his  fingers  confumed  in  the   fire  ;  fo 

Vol.  V.  Ff  "that 


450  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

<«  that  now  all  men  thought  certainly  he  had  been 
"  gone,  he  reached  his  hands  over  his  head,  and 
♦'  with  marks  of  joy  clapped  them  three  times." 
At  this  there  was  great  joy  expreffed  by  the  fpeda- 
tors,  but  elpecially  by  thofe  who  knew  the  mean- 
ing of  it.  After  this  he  foon  funk  down  into  the 
fire  and  died.     lb.  p.  220. 

I  hardly  need  to  obferve  that,  on  thefe  trying 
occafions,  women  have  fhewn  as  much  firmnefs  in 
bearing  torture  and  death  as  men.  Thus,  in  the 
account  of  the  martyrdom  of  Mrs.  Joice  Lewes, 
p.  704,  it  is  faid  that  when  (he  was  faftened  to  the 
flake  with  a  chain,  fhe  fhewed  fo  much  cheerful- 
nefs,  that  "  it  paffed  man's  reafon,  being  fo  patient;" 
which  greatly  afiFefted  all  who  were  prefent.  And 
when  the  fire  was  lighted,  "  fhe  neither  ftruggled 
*'  nor  flirred,"  but  only  lifted  up  one  of  her  hands 
to  heaven. 

Cicely  Ormes,  who  was  burned  at  Norwich, 
had  at  firft  recanted  ;  but  repenting  of  it  fhe  was 
brought  to  the  flake  ;  when  fhe  kiffed  it,  faying, 
"  Welcome  the  crofs  of  Chrift."  When  the  fire 
was  kindled,  fhe  faid,  "  My  foul  doth  magnify  the 
*'  Lord,  and  my  fpirit  rejoices  in  God  my  Savi- 
"  our."  Then  looking  upwards,  fhe  raifed  her 
arms,  and  held  them  in  that  pofture  "  till  the  fi- 

"news 


Sec.  XVII.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     451 

"  news  broke  alunder,  and  fhe  died  as   quietly   as 
"  if  fhe  had  felt  no  pain.     p.  717. 

It  is  by  no  means  my  objeft  to  recite  all  the 
afFeftincT  circumftances  that  occur  in  the  narra- 
tive of  thefe  murders.  For,  confidering  the  fpi- 
rit  with  which  they  were  conduced,  they  deferve 
no  other  name;  but  I  fliall  juft  mention  the  cafe  of 
a  blind  man,  and  another  that  was  lame,  who  were 
burned  at  the  fame  ftake,  p.  587;  of  a  blind  boy, 
p.  589,  and  of  a  woman  who  was  delivered  of  a 
child  when  fhe  was  in  the  lire,  and  which  the  in- 
human fherifiF  threw  back  into  the  fire,  to  be  burn- 
ed along  with  her,  p.  627.  Surely  there  will  be  a 
time  of  recompence  for  thefe  things. 


F  U  SECTION 


452  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 


SECTION    XVIII. 

Of  the  Unitarians  in  this  Period, 


w, 


HEN  the  amazingly  complex  fyf- 
tem  of  errors  and  abufes  which  had  been  introduc- 
ed into  the  catholic  church  began  to  be  examined, 
it  could  not  be  expelled  that  all  the  reformers 
fliould  agree  in  the  fame  principles,  but  that  fome 
would  go  farther  than  others,  and  of  courfe  give 
offence  to  the  reft,  who  would  wifti  to  preferve 
fome  chara6ler  for  orthodoxy  with  thofe  from  whom 
they  had  feparated.  And  as  no  queftion  in  the 
whole  compafs  of  theology  had  undergone  fo  much 
difcuflion  as  that  concerning  the  perfon  of  Chrift, 
and  the  prevailing  opinion  had  been  cftablifhed 
by  power  and  not  by  argument,  we  cannot  be  fur- 
prized  that  many  perfons  fhould  entertain  doubts 
concerning  the  doftrine  of  the  perfe6l  equality  of 
the  Son  to  the  Father,  or  of  his  divinity  in  any- 
proper  fenfe  of  the  word.  Indeed,  we  find  traces 
of  fuch  perfons  in  every  period,  and  cfpecially  a- 

mong 


Sec.  XVIII.   THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    453 

mong  the  Albigenfes.  It  was,  therefore,  natural 
to  expe6l  that  when  the  minds  of  men  were  more 
than  ever  awakened  to  every  thing  that  could  be 
fufpeded  to  be  an  abufe  in  this  period,  fome  fhould 
revive  the  opinion  of  the  antient  Unitarians,  and 
other  modifications  of  antitrinitarian    fentiments. 

Accordingly  it  appears,  fays  Mofheim,  that  fo 
early  as  the  year  a.  d.  1524,  Lewis  Hetzer,  an 
Anabaptift,  openly  denied  the  divinity  of  Chrift ; 
and  about  three  years  afterwards  he  was  put  to 
death  at  Conftance.  He  was  a  man  of  confidera- 
ble  learning.  He  wrote  againft  the  ufe  of  images 
in  churches,  and  tranflated  the  prophets  of  the 
Old  Teftament  into  German.  Robinson,  p.  519. 
His  treatife  againfl  the  trinity  was  fuppreflfed  by 
Zuinglius.     Beausobre,  Vol.  4,  p,  145. 

John  Campanus,  a  native  of  Juliers,  taught  at 
Wittemberg  and  other  places,  that  the  Son  was 
inferior  to  the  Father,  and  one  Claudius  propaga- 
ted an  opinion  ot  a  limilar  nature  in  a.  d.  1530 
in  Switzerland,  and  excited  no  fmall  commotion 
by  this  means,  tho'  no  regular  fe6l  was  formed  by 
any  ot  thefe  perfons.  Pope  Clement  in  his  Tpecch 
to  Charles  V  faid,  there  were  fome  who  had  lately 
revived  the  error  of  Paul  of  Samofata,  which  makes 
chriftianity  a  pure  Mahometanifro.  15^  Vol.  4, 
p.  242. 

F  f  3  The 


^54  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXll . 

The'perfon  who  in  this  period  diftinguilliedhim- 
felf  the  mod  by  tenets  which  in  the  opinion  of  the 
majority  tended  to  degrade  the  perfon  of  Chrift,  was 
Michael  Servetus,  who  was  born  in  a.  d.  1509  at 
VilJa  Nova  in  Arragon,  and  ftudied  the  civil  law  at 
Thouloufe.  The  reformation  making  muchnoife 
at  this  time,  he  there  applied  himfelf  to  the  lludy 
of  the  fcriptures;  and  conceiving  that  the  doftrine 
of  the  trinity  was  one  of  the  articles  that  rerjuired 
to  be  reformed,  he  wrote  a  treatife  on  the  fubjeft, 
intitled  De  triniiatis  erroribu%,  which  he  publiOicd 
at  Stra (burgh  and  Frankfort  in  a.  d.  1531,  when 
he  Vf3.s  not  more  than  twenty  one  years  of  age. 

This  book  gave  great  offence  to  the  principal 
reformers.  CEcolampadius  at  Bafil  was  required 
hy  the  magiftrates  to  examine  the  book,  and  find- 
ing in  it,  as  he  thought,  erroneous  and  blafphe- 
mous  prcpolitions,  he  publifhed  them,  and  had  a 
conference  with  the  author  on  the  fubjefl.  On 
this  occafion  Servetus  comolained  that  his  antagon- 
ill,  who  was  in  general  of  51  mild  difpofition,  was 
vejy  rough  with  him  ;  faying,  •'  I  wiil  be  miid  in 
*' other  things,  but  not  when  I  hear  Jcfus  Chnfl 
"  blafphemed."  Ruchat,  Vol.  3,  p.  ic8.  CEco- 
lampadius writing  to  Buccr,  on  the  fubjed  of 
Servetus's  book,  fays,  •'  Our  churches  wiil  be  very 
*'■  ill  fpokenof  unlefs  our  divines  make  it  their  bu- 
:**  oefs  to  cry  il  down.     1  beieech  you  in  particular 

"  to 


Sec.  XVIII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    iS3 

"  to   keep   a  watchful  eye   upon  it,    and  to  make 
*'  an  apology  to  our  churches,  at  lead   in   your 
*'  confutation  infcribed  to  the  emperor.   We  know 
*'  not  how  this  beaft  came  to  creep  in  among  us. 
*'  He  wrefts  all  the  pafTages  of  fcripture   to  prove 
*'  that  the  Son  is  not  coeternal  and  confubftantial 
**  with  the  Father,  and  that  the  man  Chrift  is  the 
"  fon  of  God."    This  clearly   fhews  how  defirous 
thefe  reformers  were   to  keep  fome  meafures  with 
the  church  of  Rome,  and  to   avoid  the   charge    of 
herefy.     Impartial  Hijlory  of  M.  Servetus,  p.   35. 
The  year  following,  a.  d.  1532,  Servetus  pub- 
lifhed  another  treatife  on  the  fame  fubjeft.     This, 
no  doubt,  added  to  the  alarm  of  thefe  reformers. 
Melanfthon,  writing  to  Joachim  Camerarius,  fays, 
"  You  know  that  I  was    always    afraid    that  thefe 
*«  difputes  about  the  trinity  would  break  out  fome 
"  time  or  other.     Good  God,    what  tragedies  will 
**  this  quetlion  excite  among  our  pofleriLy,  whether 
•'  the  loCTOsbe  a  fubfiflence  or  a  perfon,  and  whe- 
<'  therthe  Holy  Spirit  be  a  fubfiflence  or  a  perfon. 
"  I    have  recourfe    to   ihofe   words    of    fcriptute 
"  which  command  me  to  worfliip  Chrift,  that  is,  to 
"  afcribe  to  him  the  honours  of  divinity,  which  is 
V  full  of  confolation  ;   but  it  is  by  no  means  expc- 
"  dient  to  examine   accurately   into   the    ideas  of 
''fubfifUncc  or  perfon."     Thus  were  thefe  rtloim- 
ers  afraid  of  free  inqn'uy,  when  they  apprehended 
F  f  4  th-it 


45S  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

that  it  might  lead  men  farther  than  they  had  gone 
themfelves. 

After  this  Servetus  paiTcd  two  or  three  years  at 
Lyons,  and  then  went  to  Paris  to  fludy  medicine, 
which  he  afterwards  praflifed  ;  and  he  pubhftied 
ibme  treatifes  on  medical  fubje£ls.  It  was  at  Paris 
that  Calvin  became  acquainted  with  him.  From 
Paris  Se.rvetus  retired  to  Vienne  in  Duphine, 
where  he  pradifed  phyfic  ten  or  twelve  years.  In 
this  time  his  books  were  much  read,  efpecially  in 
Italy  ;  and  it  is  thought  that  Loelius  Socinus  and 
others  were  led  by  them  to  rejeft  the  dodrine  of 
the  trinity.  In  all  this  time  he  correfponded  with 
Calvin,  who  fays  that  for  the  fpace  of  lixteen  years 
he  endeavoured  to  reclaim  him  from  his  errors.  It 
appears  that  in  the  courfe  of  this  correfpondence 
they  were  both  much  irritated.  Calvin  in  his 
Commentaries  calls  Servetus  *'  a  profligate  fellow, 
*'  a  man  full  of  pride,  the  proudeft  of  the  Spani(h 
*'  nation,  a  dog,  and  an  obfcene  dog."  Ho-.vever, 
during  this  correfpondence,  he  fent  Calvin  a  ma- 
nufcript  which,  tho'  it  never  was  printed,  he  un- 
generoufly  produced  againft  him  at  his  trial* 

Servetus  not  convinced  of  any  error,  and  eon- 
finuing  to  think  the  opinion  he  had  advanced  of 
much  importance,  publifhed  in  a.  d.  1533  ano- 
ther book,  but  without  his  name,  againft  the  tri- 
nity, and  fome  other  dodrines.     This  wms  inti- 

tied 


Sec.  XVIII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    45/ 

tied  Chrijlianismi  Rejlitutio,  and  it  was  in  this 
tieaiife  that  he  introduced  his  opinion  of  the  circu- 
lation of  the  blood.  It  was  for  writing  tliis  book 
that  Calvin,  by  his  letters,  procured  Servetus  to 
be  apprehended,  and  tho'  heefcaped  out  of  prifon, 
he  was  fentenced,  if  he  could  be  caught,  to  be 
burned  alive  with  a  flow  fire.  His  books  and  his 
effigy  were  burned.  In  order  to  procure  his  con- 
demnation Calvin  fent  to  Vienne  above  twenty 
letters  which  he  had  received  from  him. 

Flying  from  France,  it  was  the  intention  of 
Servetus  to  go  to  Naples,  and  pradice  phylic  there; 
but  going  thro'  Geneva,  Calvin,  on  being  inform- 
ed that  he  was  in  the  town,  had  him  apprehended, 
and  procured  thirty  eight  articles  of  accufation  to 
be  exhibited  againft  him.  After  this  he  was  de- 
tained in  prifon  about  five  months,  and  his  trial 
commenced  Auguft  14.  The  principal  accufati- 
ons  againft  him  related  to  the  dodrine  of  the  trini- 
ty. Tho'  he  was  a  foreigner,  he  was  not  allowed 
an  advocate  to  plead  for  him  ;  and  iho'  he  fufFered 
exceedingly  from  cold  and  vermin,  he  was  unable 
to  obtain  any  relief,  lie  alfo  pleaded  in  vain  tlic 
rights  of  confcience,  and  the  innocence  of  free 
inquiry,  not  attended  with  any  breach  of  the 
peace. 

Calvin  writing  at  this  time  to  Farel,  fays,  "  I 

•'  hope  Servetus  will  be  condemned  to  death,  but 

F  f  5  ♦'  I  vTiih 


458  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII; 

"  I  wifh  the  fcverity  of  his  punifhment  may  be 
'*  foftened  /'  the  very  language  always  ufed  by  the 
popilli  inquifitors  on  fimilar  occafions.  Farel,  who 
had  himfelf  fuffered  perfecution, replied  thatServetus 
deferved  to  die  a  thoufand  deaths, and  intimated  that 
the  judges  would  be  very  cruel,  ^nd  enemies  to 
Chrill  and  his  church,  if  they  did  not  proceed  and 
make  an  example  ol  liim.  Bucer  faid  he  deferved 
to  have  his  entrails  plucked  out,  and  to  be  torn  in 
pieces.  Bullcnger  laid  the  magiflrates  a6led  no- 
bly, and  that  punifliing  fuch  obflinate  heretics  was 
for  the  glory  of  God.  How  does  this  juftify  the 
proceedings  of  the  catholics  againft  themfelves. 

On  the  261!!  of  Odober  ServeLus  was  fentenc- 
ed  to  be  burned  alive  ihe  day  following,  together 
with  all  his  books,  printed  and  manufcript,  and 
Beza  fays,  it  was  according  to  the  opinion  of  all 
the  Helvetian  churches.  Servetus  would  have  ap- 
pealed to  the  council  of  two  hundred,  who  it  was 
thought,  would  have  acquitted  him,  but  Calvin 
prevented  it.  Before  his  execution  he  defired  to 
fee  Calvin,  and  when  they  met,  he  begged  his  par- 
don for  the  harlii  language  he  had  fometimes  ufed 
towards  him  ;  but  Calvin,  who  had  offended  at 
lead  as  much  in  the  fame  way,  did  not  aflc  his. 
He  only  exhorted  him  to  repent  of  his  herefy.  But 
Servetus  continued  fteady,  and  died  calling  upon 

God. 

In 


Sec.  XVIII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     ^59 

In  this  period  we  find  Valentine  Centilis,  a 
Neapolitan,  who  fufFered  at  Bern  in  a.  d.  1566. 
He  adopted  tlie  Aiian  hypothefis.  He  left  the 
place  of  his  nativity,  which  was  Cofenza,  on  ac- 
count of  religion,  and  retired  to  Geneva,  where 
feveral  Italian  families  had  already  forined  a  church, 
and  one  of  the  principal  of  them  was  George  Blan- 
drata,  a  phyfician,  who  afterwards  went  to  Poland. 
Gentilis. having  given  great  offence  by  his  writings, 
and  efpecially  to  Calvin,  fled  from  Geneva,  and 
after  various  adventures  was  apprehended  at  Bern 
the  nth  of  June  A.  d.  1566.  He  was  fentenced 
to  be  beheaded,  and  at  the  place  of  execution  faid, 
**  Many  had  fufFered  for  the  glory  of  the  Son," 
meaning  probably  for  their  chviflian  faith,  *•  bat 
*'  none  that  he  knew  of  before  himfelf  had  died  for 
"  the  glory  and  fuperiority  of  the  Father.''  Bayle. 
Servetus,  however,  had  fuffered  before  him. 

Calvin,  and  ether  foreign  divines,  had  many 
friends  in  Poland ;  and  by  their  means  fent  letters 
and  trafts  into  that  country,  juftifying  the  murder 
ol  Servetus  and  Geniilis,and  aireriing  ihe  ncccflfity 
of  employing  fecuLu-  power  to  rid  tJie  world  of 
fuch  monPieis  ai  denied  the  trinity  and  infant  bap- 
tifm.     Rohinjon,  p.   584. 

Andrew  Dudjth,  a.  mod  accompliflied  perfon, 
who  was  fent  to  ihe  council  of  Trent,  and  had 
great  preferment  in  the  church  of  Rome,  joined 

the 


460v  THE  HISTORY  OF       Pm.  XXII. 

the  reformers,  and  fettled  at  Cracow,  Writing  on 
this  fubjefl  to  Wolf,  a  divine  at  Zurich,  he  fays, 
"  Tell  them,  my  learned  friend,  now  that  the  Cal* 
"vinifts  have  burned  Servetus,  beheaded  Gentilis, 
*'  and  murdered  many  other* ;  now  that  they  have 
*'  baniflied  Bernard  Ochin  with  his  wife  and  chil- 
**  dren  from  your  city  in  the  depth  of  winter. 
"  Now  that  the  Lutherans  have  expelled  Lafco, 
*'  with  a  congregation  of  foreigners  that  came  out 
"  of  England  with  him,  in  an  extremely  rigorous 
"  feafon  of  the  year,  and  have  done  many  o- 
**  ther  fuch  exploits  contrary  to  the  genius  of  chrif- 
*'  tianity,  how  fhall  we  meet  the  Papifts  ?  With 
**  what  face  can  we  tax  them  with  cruelty  ?  How 
*' dare  we  fay,"  Our  weapons  are  net  carnal'^} 
"  How  can  we  any  longer  urge,  **  Let  both  grow 
'^  togtther  till  the  harveji"?  Let  us  ceafe  to  boaft 
"  that  '^  faith  cannot  he  compelled,  and  that  confci- 
"ence  ought  to  be  free.-    Robinson,  p.  592. 

Other  perfons  are  alfo  mentioned  who  held  G- 
milar  opinions,  tho*  with  many  variations.  But 
the  proper  origin  of  the  Unitarians,  as  a  feparate 
body  ot  chriftians,  is  with  fome  degree  of  probabi- 
lity afcribed  to  fome  private  alTemblies  of  I  tali- 
ans,  efpecially  in  a.  d.  1546,  at  Vicenza,  in  the 
territory  of  Venice.  They  met  for  the  difcuffion 
of  religious  fubjeas,  and  among  tfcem  it  is  faid, 
but  not  with  ceitainty,  was  Loelius  Socinus,  born 

in 


Sec.  XVIIL  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH*  461 

in  A.  D.  1524  at  Sienna,  defigned  for  the  profeffi- 
on  of  the  law,  and  greatly  diftinguifhed  for  his 
learning  and  piety.  He  certainly  travelled  much 
in  fearch  of  truth.  He  was,  however,  of  a  timid 
difpofition  ;  for  tho'  it  is  evident  that  he  was  no 
trinitarian,  he  lived  and  died  a  member  of  the  Hel- 
vetic church  of  Zurich  in  A.  D.  1562. 

It  was  his  nephew  Fauftus  Socinus,  a  man  of 
perhaps  lefs  learning,  but  of  greater  ability,  and 
more  zeal,  who  gave  celebrity  to  the  fe£l,  and  from 
him  the  Unitarians  were  long  called  Socinians  % 
but  his  hiftory  falls  within  the  next  period.  About 
this  time,  however,  many  perfons  who  entertained 
thefe  fentiments,  as  well  as  thofe  ot  the  Anabaptifts, 
being  perfecuted  by  all  the  other  denominations 
of  chriftians,  took  refuge  in  Poland,  where,  behav- 
ing with  much  moderation,  they  were  at  firft  re- 
ceived into  the  churches  of  the  reformed,  and  did 
not  feparate  from   them  till  the  year  a.  d.  1565. 

Loclius  Socinus,  it  is  faid,  inftilled  fentiments 
contrary  to  the  prevailing  ones, into  the  mind  of  Fran- 
cis Lifmaninus,  who  was  preacher  and  confeflbr  to 
Bona  Sfortia  the^wife  of  Sigifmond  king  of  Poland- 
This  Lifmani|pts  publifhed  feveral  treati fes  to  prove 
the  fupremacy  of  the  Father,  as  the  origin  and  foun- 
tain of  divinity  to  the  Son  ;  nnd  ihh  encouraged 
Gregory  Paul,  a  minifter  of  the  Proteftant  church 
at  Cracow,  openly  to  affert  the  fame  opinions. 

About 


^^^  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXH. 

About  this  time  alfo  a  perfon  from  the  Low 
Countries,  whofe  name  was  Spiritus,  arrived  i 
Poland ;  who  having  propofed  the  queftion,  whe- 
ther there  were  three  Gods,  doubts  on  the  fubjedl: 
of  the  trinity  arofe  in  the  mind  of  Andreas  Fricius 
Mordrevius,  fecretary  to  the  king ;  and  at  the  de- 
lire  of  this  prince,  who  was  of  an  inquifitive  dif- 
pofition,  he  ftudied  queftions  of  this  kind,  and 
wrote  fome  treatifes  in  favour  of  the  Unitarian  doc- 
trine, which  he  entitled  Silver. 

In  A.  D.  1556,  Peter  Gonefius,  a  Pole,  after 
his  return  from  his  travels,  avowed  his  rejection  of 
the  Nicene  and  Athanafian  creeds,  and  in  a.  d, 
1558,  there  came  to  Pinczow  George  Blandrata,  a 
phyhcian  of  confiderable  eminence,  whom,  Sigif- 
mond  invited  to  his  court,  and  who  brought  with 
him  Francis  David  an  Unitarian  minifler;  and 
then  it  is  faid,  Blandrata  embraced  the  doftrine  of 
the  fupremacy  of  the  Father.  He  here  met  with 
Gonefius  and  Stancarus,  an  Italian,  who  held 
the  lame  opinion.  Thefe  perfons  entering  into 
a  difpute  on  the  fubjedi,  a  fynod  was  called  for 
the  purpofe  of  compofing  the  controverfy,  at  which 
were  prefent  many  minifters,  and  alio  nobles;  and 
tho'  nothing  was  agreed  on,  it  contributed  much 
to  the  overthrow  of  the  do£lrine  of  the  trinity. 
The  lame  controverfy  was  carried  into  other  fy- 
nods,  all  of  which  terminated  in   the  increafe  of 

Unitarians, 


Src.  XVIII.  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.   4P3 

unitarians.  In  other  fynods,  however,  their  doc- 
trine wasoppofed;  and  at  one  held  at  Cracow,  in 
A.  D.  1561,  letters  were  produced  from  Calvin, 
exhorting  them  to  be  on  their  guard  againll  Blan- 
drata.     Toulmins  Life  of  Socinus,  p.  2,  Sec. 

However,  by  the  endeavours  of  Blandrata  and 
Francis  David  the  king  and  a  great  part  of  the  no- 
bility were  induced  to  favour  the  Unitarians,  fo 
that  they  had  liberty  to  profefs  their  opinions  in 
the  moll  public  manner.  This  gave  them  fo  firm 
a  footing  in  Tranfilvania,  that  tho'  Bathori,  who 
afterwards  fucceeded  to  the  kingdom,  wifhed  to 
fupprefs  the  new  feft,  he  found  it  prudent  not  to 
make  the  attempt  ;  and  in  this  country  they  have 
ever  lince  remained  unmolefled,  having  femina- 
ries  of  learning,  and  holding  their  religious  affem- 
blies,  tho'  expofed  to  much  danger  from  their  many 
enemies.     Mojhcim,  Vol.  4,  p.  igo. 

In  this  period  the  Unitarians  endeavoured,  but 
without  fuccefs,  to  eflablifh  themfelvesin  Hunga- 
ry and  Auftria,  being  effedlually  oppofed  both  by 
the  catholics  and  Proteflants. 


SECTION 


4§4  THE  HIS  TORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 


SECTION   XIX. 

OJ  the    Jefidts,  ^ 


I 


.T  was  peculiarly  fortunate  for  the  ca- 
tholic caufe,  that  when  the  bifliops  became  difcre- 
dited,  by  their  negleft  of  learning,  and  adopting  the 
free  manners  of  the  nobility,  the  monks  arofe  for  the 
fupport  of  it ;  and  that  when  they  fell  into  difcredit 
the  mendicants  took  their  place.  In  this  period, 
when  the  mendicant  orders  were  in  no  higher  cre- 
dit than  the  monks,  another  order  of  learned  men 
made  their  appearance,  and  by  their  ability  and 
zeal  were  of  more  fervice  to  the  fame  caufe  than 
the  monks  or  the  mendicants  had  ever  been.  Thefe 
were  the  Jefuits,  a  fociety  founded  by  Ignatius 
Loyola,  a  gentleman  of  Navarre  in  Spain,  himfelf 
a  man  of  no  learning,  and  a  wild  enthufiaft.  . 

He  was  born  in  A.  d.  1491.  At  firft  he  was  a 
page  to  king  Ferdinand,  and  then  ferved  in  the 
army,  but  was  a  man  of  pleafure  to  the  age  of 
twenty  nine  ;  when  being  dangeroufly  wounded  at 
the  liege  of  Pampeluna,  he  read  for  his  amufement 

the 


Sec.  XIX.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     465 

the  lives  of  the  faints;  and  by  their  example  he 
was  fo  fired,  that  from  that  time  he  gave  himfelf 
wholly  to  fuch  a  life  as  he  found  moft  recommend- 
ed there. 

His  firfl  refolution  was  to  make  a  pilgrimage 
to  theHoly  Land,  going  barefooted,  and  clothed  in 
fackloth  ;  but  being  prevented  in  this,  he  went  to 
Notredame  de  Montferrat,  near  Barcelona  ;  and 
there,  watching  in  the  church  all  night,  he  folemn- 
ly  hung  up  his  arms,  by  way  of  renouncing  the 
profeflion  of  a  foldier,  and  devoted  himfelf  to  the 
fervice  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  Thence  he  went  to 
the  hofpital  at  Manrefe,  where  he  lived  on  bread 
and  water,  except  on  Sundays,  when  he  ate  fome 
boiled  vegetables.  At  the  fame  time  he  wore  an 
iron  chain  on  his  loins,  and  a  rough  haircloth  un- 
der his  other  clothes.  He  alfo  whipped  himfelf 
three  times  a  da}'',  lay  on  the  bare  ground,  begged 
his  bread  from  door  to  door,  and  made  fo  dirty 
and  hideous  an  appearance,  that  the  boys  hooted 
at  and  pelted  him  as  he  went  along ;  and  thence 
he  retired  to  a  cavern  in  the  neighbourhood,  where 
he  was  found  almofl  dead  with  his  excefTive  morti- 
fications, and  carried  back  to  the  hofpital. 

Being  much  perplexed  with  doubts  about  his 
falvation,  in  confequence  of  the  free  life  he  had 
formerly  led,  he  went  to  the  Dominicans  at  Man- 
refe, where  he  failed    feven  whole   days,  without 

Vol.  V.  G  g  eating 


466  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII 

eating  or  drinking,  or  relaxing  of  his  other  aufteri- 
ties  in  any  refpeft.  He  went  thence  to  Rome, 
where  he  arrived  in  the  time  of  pope  Adrian ;  and 
after  this  he  performed  his  pilgrimage  to  Jerufa- 
lem,  whence  he  returned  to  Barcelona  in  a.  d. 
1524  ;  and  finding  the  want  of  learning  which  was 
necefTiiry  for  his  undertaking,  he  applied  himfell  to 
the  iludy  of  Grammar,  but  made  little  progrefc. 
After  this  he  went  to  fludy  philofophy  and  theo- 
logy at  Alcala,  and  there  he  got  four  difciples. 
But  finding  much  confufion  in  his  ideas  on  the 
fubjc6ls  ot  his  fludies,  he  and  his  difciples  applied 
themfelves  to  the  converfion  of  finners. 

From  Alcala  Ignatius  went  to  Salamanca, 
but  there  he  and  his  four  difciples  were  impiifon- 
ed,  and  fliut  up  in  a  dungeon,  for  teaching  with- 
out proper  qualifications.  Being  releafed  on  his 
examination,  he  went  to  France,  without  his  com- 
panions, to  fludy  in  the  univerfity  at  Paris,  and 
there  he  formed  a  defign  of  eflablifhing  a  new  fo- 
ciety  for  the  converfion  of  infidels,  and  propofcd 
to  take  the  members  of  it  out  of  that  univerfity. 
Among  the  firfl  who  engaged  with  him  was  Fran- 
cis Xavier,  who  then  taught  philofophy  in  the 
college  of  Beauvois,  and  who  afterwards  diftin- 
guifhed  himfelf  by  his  miflioh  to  the  Indies.  An- 
other was  James  Lainez,  both  Spaniards.  Thefe 
and  five  others  he  took  to  the  church  of  Montmar- 

tre 


Sec.  XIX.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     46? 

tre  near  Paris  in  a.  d.  1534,  and  afier  a  folemn 
communion  they  took  a  vow,  that,  abandoning 
every  thing  in  the  world,  they  would  go  to  Jeru- 
falem  for  the  converfion  of  the  infidels  ;  and  if 
that  fhould  be  imprafticable,  that  they  would 
throw  themfelves  at  the  feet  of  the  pope,  and  de- 
vote themfelves  to  his  fervice,  without  requiring 
any  thing  for  their  labours.  In  the  mean  time  he 
prefcribed  to  them  certain  religious  exercifes,  hav- 
ing compofed  a  treatife  on  that  fubjeft  fome  time 
before.  Being  then  advifed  to  return  to  Spain 
for  the  recovery  of  his  health,  which  was  much  in- 
jured by  his  exercifes,  he  engaged  his  difciples  to 
meet  him  at  Venice  in  a.  d.  1537. 

When  Ignatius  was  there  he  became  acquaint- 
ed with  J.  P.  CaralFa,  who  was  afterwards  Paul 
IV,  and  who  endeavoured  in  vain  to  perfuade  him 
to  join  the  order  of  Theatins,  which  he  had  inftitu- 
led.  Finding  the  times  unfavourable  to  their  in- 
tended voyage  to  Palefline,  Ignatius,  Le  Fevrc, 
and  Lainez,  went  to  Rome  to  offer  their  fcrvices 
to  the  pope,  while  the  reft  difperfed  themfelves  iu 
the  univerfitiesof  Italy,  in  ordei  to  gain  profelytes. 
But  before  this  they  agreed  upon  the  following 
rules,  "  to  lodge  in  hofpitals,  to  beg  their  bread, 
"  that  when  any  number  of  them  were  together, 
"  they  fhould  be  fuperiors  in  their  turn,  that  they 
*'  fhould  preach  in  the  ftreets,    an^  wherever  they 

G  g  2  "could 


468  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 

«  could,  that  they  ftiould  catechize  the  children, 
*•  and  take  no  money  for  their  fervices."  Hijioire 
de  la  ccmpagnie  de  jfefus,  Vol   i,  p.  36. 

When  Ignatius  and  the  two  others  came  to 
Rome,  which  was  in  a.  d.  1538,  Paul  IV,  at  the 
folicitation  of  a  Spanifli  doftor  Peter  Ortiz,  who 
knew  Ignatius  at  Paris,  accepted  the  offer  of  their 
fcrvice,  and  there  Lainez  became  profelTor  of  fcho- 
laftic  theology.  On  this  all  the  difciples,  fome 
of  whom  had  been  preaching  with  much  fuccefs, 
aflembled  at  Rome  ;  and  then  Ignatius  laid  before 
them  his  great  fcheme  of  forming  a  fixed  fociety, 
who  to  the  vows  of  poverty  and  chaftity,  which 
they  had  taken  before,  fhould  add  one  <'f  perpe- 
tual and  ablolute  obedience  to  the  chief  whom 
they  fhould  chufe,  and  another  of  obedience  to  the 
pope,  to  go  wherever  he  fhculd  fend  them,  without 
any  allowance  for  their  expencts.  At  the  fame 
time  it  was  agreed  that  the  prrjffjed  jefuits  (for 
they  called  themMves,  the  C(>mpa7}y  of  Jejus)  fhould 
have  no  property  either  in  private  or  in  common, 
but  that  they  might  have  colleges,  with  revenues 
for  the  maintenance  of  fludents. 

After  fome  difficulty  the  pope  gave  his  fanQi' 
on  to  this  new  order  September  the  27th,  a.  d. 
1540;  but  he  fixed  the  number  of  piofefTed  ]efuits 
to  fixty.  At  this  time  Ignatius  had  no  more  tha» 
ten  difciples,  and  they  chofe  himfelffor  their  fupe- 

rior 


Sec.  XIX.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    469 

rior  or  General.  The  year  following  Ignatius 
fettled  the  particular  conflitu; ions  of  his  order,  by 
which  it  appears  that  his  defign  was  that  his  difci- 
ples  fhould  divide  their  time  between  a  contem- 
plative and  an  adlive  life.  He  appointed  no  habit 
but  that  of  the  common  clergy  of  the  times,  and 
he  excluded  particular  mortifications,  and  alfo 
long  prayers  and  meditations.  They  were  not  e- 
ven  to  perform  divine  fervice,  but  rather  apply 
themfelves  to  fludy.      Hifloire,  Vol  i,  p.  59. 

By  this  conflitution  the  General  was  to  refidc 
at  Rome,  and  have  four  alTiflants,  one  ,in  Iialy, 
another  in  Spain,  a  third  in  France,  and  a  fourth 
in  Germany,  to  be  appointed  at  the  general  af- 
fembly.  Befides  thefe,  there  were  to  be  Provincials 
appomfcd  by  the  General,  as  alfo  fuperiors  of  par- 
ticular houfes,  and  of  the  probationers,  calied  A^o- 
viciates,  and  reftors  of  colleges.  That  the  Gene- 
ral might  have  a  more  perteft  knowledge  of  the 
perfons  he  employed,  the  Provincials  in  all  parts  of 
Europe  were  obliged  to  write  to  him  once  a 
month,  and  thofe  in  the  Indies  every  opportuni- 
ty. Befides  this,  every  three  years  there  was  to 
be  fent  to  him  an  account  of  every  perfon  in  the 
fociety,  in  which  their  ages  and  their  qualifica- 
tions in  all  refpedls,  were  noted,  and  every  thing 
elfe  relating  to  the  fociety, 

G  g  3  Ignatius 


4ro  THE  HISTORY  OF       Per.  XXII. 

Ignatius  alfo  divided  his  fubje6ls  into  four 
clafles,  the  projejjtd,  the  coadjutors,  the  fcholars, 
and  the  novices,  who  were  to  remain  in  that  ftatc 
two  years.  The  profeired  were  of  tno  kind?,  fome 
of  all  the  four  vows,  and  others  of  three  only,  the 
fourth  vow  being  that  of  obedience  to  the  pope, 
over  whom  the  General  had  no  power.  The 
coadjutors  were  either  fpiritual  or  temporal,  the 
former  of  whom  did  not  take  the  fourth  vow. 

There  being  very  foon  a  great  demand  for  Je- 
fuits,  efpecially  for  the  education  of  youth,  Ignati- 
us obtained  leave  of  the  pope  to  make  as  many  of 
the  order  of  pro/ejfed  SiS  he  pleafcd,  and  in  a  fhort 
fpace  of  time  there  were  foundations  of  Jefuits  in 
all  parts  of  Europe,  and  in  all  the  European  co- 
lonies in  the  Eaft  and  Weft  Indies.  Ignatius  alfo 
procured  two  of  his  difciples,  Lainez  and  Salme- 
ron,  to  be  fent  as  the  pope's  theologians  to  the 
council  of  Trent.  There  they  found  another  mem- 
ber of  their  fociety,  Le  Jay,  who  was  theologian  to 
the  cardinal  of  Augfburg,  and  by  their  ingenuity, 
humility,  and  charity,  they  gained  univerfai  ef- 
teem. 

The  firft  perfon  who  founded  a  college  for  the 
nfe  of  the  jefuifs  was  Francis  de  Borgia,  duke  of 
Gar,i:3ia,  where  they  taught  philofophy,  theology, 
and  polite  literature  ;  and  in  thj«  line  they  fo  much 
dillinguiilied  themfelves,  that  in   a  fhort  fpace   of 

time 


Sec.  XIX.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    4ri 

time  their  colleges  were  numerous  In  all  parts  of 
Europe,  a'ld  the  education  of  the  opulent  youths 
was  almoft  wholly  in  their  hands.  They  alfo  re- 
commended themfelves  fo  much  to  the  great,  that 
the  confeffors  of  catholic  princes  were  almofl  all 
Jefuits.  At  the  fame  time  they  never  loft  fight  of 
their  ♦'•riginal  objeft,  which  was  the  converfion  of 
infidels,  and  they  were  more  indefatigable  in  thrt 
refpe£l  than  the  mendicants  had  been  before  them  ; 
and  for  fome  time  their  fuccefs  feemed  lo  corref- 
pond  to  their  labours. 

Ignatius,  forefeeing  the  inconvenience  that 
would  arife  to  his  fociety  from  the  members  of  it 
afpiring  to  eccleCaftical  dignities,  made  a  new  re- 
gulation in  his  fociety,  by  which  he  forbad  their  ac- 
cepting of  any  church  preferment,  as  a  mortal  fin. 
But  by  not  being  bifhops,  the  Jefuits  g^ve  lefs 
umbrage,  and  in  facl  had  more  power,  and  ferved 
the  papal  intereft  more  eflFeQually,  than  if  they  had 
been  pofTeflTed  of  the  highefl;  ftations  in  the  church. 
Soon  after  the  eflabUfhrnent  of  his  order,  1^- 
natius  admitted  fome  women  to  take  the  fame 
vows,  and  to  come  under  the  government  of  his 
difciples  ;  bat  prefently'pefceiving  the  inconve- 
nience of  this,  he  not  only  got  his  fociety  difcharg- 
ed  from  this  incumbrance,  but  he  procured  an  or- 
der from  the  pope,  that  there  fhould  never  be  any 
G^g  4  ordtr 


4r2  THE  HISTORY  OF        Per.  XXII. 

order  of  JefuitefTes  ;  or  that  women  fhould  in  any 
form  have  a  connexion  with  his  fociety. 

The  reputation  of  this  new  fociety  was  not  u- 
niverfah  It  had  many  enemies,  Melchior  Cano, 
a  theologian  of  the  order  of  Dominicans  at  Sala- 
manca, reprefented  them  as  the  forerunners  of  an- 
tichrift,  and  the  falfe  apoflles  who  were  to  arife 
in  the  laft  times,  and  who  by  their  addrefs  in  infi- 
nuating  themfelves  into  houfes,  their  affiduity  to 
the  great,  their  intrigues  in  courts,  their  feeming 
zeal  for  the  falvation  of  their  neighbours,  and  the 
inflru£lion  of  youth,  and  other  peculiarities,  were 
calculated  to  do  much  mifchief.  His  oppofition 
prevented  their  eflablifhment  in  Salamanca  where 
he  lived  till  they  contrived  to  have  him  fent  as  a 
theologian  to  the  council  of  Trent,  when,  in  his 
abfence,  they  fecured  their  ettablifhment.  They 
found  ilill  greater  oppofition  in  France  ;  but  in 
Portugal  they  were  encouraged  for  the  purpofeof 
fending  miffionaries  to  diftant  colonies.  Above 
all  others  Francis  Xavier  diftinguiflied  himfelf  by 
his  labours  in  the  Eaft  Indies.  After  preaching 
with  more  or  lefs  fuccefs  in  feveral  other  places,  he 
went  to   Japan. 

JuHus  1 1 1  was  no  lefs  a  favourer  of  the  Jefuits 
than  Paul  III.  He  pubiilhcd  a  bull  in  their  fa- 
vour, recommending  the  fociety  in  the  flrongefl: 
terms  ;   faying  that,  having  learned  of  his   prede- 

ceffors 


Sec.  XIX.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    473 

cefTors  the  great  advantage  which  that  fociety  had 
been  of  to  the  holy  fee,  by  their  intire  devotion  to 
the  fucceffors  of  St.  Peter,  he  confirmed  their  in- 
ftitutc.  *'  Tho,"  he  fays,  "  all  the  faithful  ought 
"  to  be  fubjeft  to  the  fovereign  pontiff,  as  the 
"  head  of  the  church,  and  the  vicar  of  Jefus  Chrift, 
"  yet  to  render  the  devotion  of  thefe  fathers  to  the 
**  apoftolic  fee  (he  more  entir<;,  and  the  renounc- 
*'  ing  of  their  own  will  the  more  perfe6l,  in  fuffer- 
**  ing  themfelves  to  be  guided  by  the  holy  fpirit, 
*'  we  have  thought  proper  that  they  who  compofe 
"  this  fociety,  befides  the  three  ordinary  vows, 
•'  take  a  fourth,  of  intire  fubmiffion  to  the  fovereign 
"  pontiff,  who  can  fend  them  into  any  country, 
*'  even  among  Turks  and  infidels,  into  tlie  Indies, 
"  or  the  countries  of  heretics,  without  their  being 
'•  able  to  refufe,  or  make  any  excufe  whatever. 
lb.  128.  In  this  bull  the  pope  gave  the  difpofal 
of  the  property  of  the  houfes  to  the  General,  the 
profeffed  Jefuits  having  no  property  at  all  in 
in  them. 

All  the  endeavours  of  (he  Jefuits  to  get  an 
efldblifhment  in  France  were  in  vain.  The  parli- 
ament made  the  ftrongell  remonftrances  arainft  it; 
faying  that  the  inftitution  was  fuperfluous,  and 
contrary  to  the  canons,  which  forbad  the  ellablifh- 
rnent  of  new  religious  focieties,  that  bv  their  infli- 
tute  they  were  exempt  from  paying  tytlies,  by 
G  g  5  which 


474  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

which  the  cures  would  be  depriied  of  their  light?, 
that  they  might  leave  the  kingdom  without  the 
leave  of  the  parliament,  and  that  they  were  not  fub- 
je£l  to  the  jurisdi6lion  of  the  bifliops,  which  was 
contrary  to  the  liberties  of  the  Gallican  church. 

Some  of  the  difciples  of  Ignatius  entering  more 
than  he  wifhed  into  the  profeiFed  humble  fpirit  of 
their  order,  and  declining  to  be  confeffors  to  princ- 
es and  great  men,  by  means   of  which  they   after- 
wards obtained  their  great  wealth  and  power,    he 
reproached   them  for  it  ;  faying  "  The  humility  of 
"  apoflolical  men  like  you,  is  more  generous   than 
"  you    imagine.      You  ought  not    to  defpife    the 
"  lowed  Tunftions,  but  neither  ought  you  to  dread 
*' the  higheft,  for  you   are   not    monks,  confined  to 
"  cloifters.     It  is  true  you  ought  to  exercife  your 
"  zeal  in   hofpitals,  gallics,  and  prifons,    but  you 
*' are  not  to  fly  from  the  palaces  of  princes.    Being 
"  bound  by  your  inflitute  to  labour  for  the  falvati- 
•'  on  of  all,  you  ought  to  make  no    diflin6lion   of 
*'  perfons,  efpecially  not  to   relufe  to  labour  for 
*•  kings,  to  whom  you  owe  fo  much  the  iriore  of 
"  your  attention,  as  they  are  farther  from  the  king- 
••  dom  ofheaven   than  other  men."     Ibid,  p.    136. 
By  this  time  there  was  awakened    in    Ignatius   an 
ambition  which  had  not  appeared  before  :  for  at  his 
outfet  no  man  could  avoid  what  is  called  the  world, 
and  efpecially   the  great   world,  with   more  care 

than 


Sec.  XIX.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     475 

than  he  did.  His  followers  foon  fhevved  that  they 
had  no  objedion  to  the  new  admonition  of  their 
founder. 

It  mufl  be  acknowledged  that  the  Jefuits  were 
indefatigable  in  their  attempts  to  introduce  the  ca- 
tholic religion,  and  exalt  the  power  of  the  pope,  in 
many  foreign  countries,  as  China,  and  J;tp.in  in 
Afia,  Ethiopia,  and  Congo  in  Africa,  and  for  fome 
time  their  fuccefs  was  very  promifing.  But,  con- 
trary to  the  praflice  of  the  apoflles,  they  always 
applied  thcmfelves  in  the  firft  inftance  to  the 
princes,  and  having  by  much  addrefs  gained  them^ 
introduced  their  religion  among  the  common  peo- 
ple in  a  manner  independent  of  any  rational  con- 
viftion;  and  having  too  generally  aimed  at  civil 
power,  fo  as  to  bring  the  people  into  fubjeftion  to 
the  fee  of  Rome,  they  every  where  at  length  gave 
umbrage  to  the  governing  powers,  and  were  finally 
expelled, leaving  the  people  more  prejudiced  againfl 
the  catholic  religion,  and  chriftianity  in  general, 
than  they  found  them.  It  may  however,  be  clear- 
ly feen  from  the  perufal'of  the  LeUrts  edificantcs  et 
cuneuses,  that  whatever  might  be  views  of  their  fc- 
periors  and  employers,  no  men  ever  fiit-wed  moie 
of  a  truly  chriftian  fpirit,  more  zeal,  difnitfrcfled- 
r.efs,  humility,  patience,  and  perfeveiance,  in  a6l- 
ing  or  fufFcring,  than  many,  I  believe  than  mod, 
of  the  mifiionaries  did.      At  the   Tame  time  it  is  e- 

vidcnt 


476  THE  HIS  TORY  OF        Per.  XXH. 

vident  that  they  were  men  of  extraordinary  talents, 
qualified  to  rife  in  the  world,  if  that  had  been  their 
obje6t.  I  have  read  thefe  letters  with  fingular  fa- 
tisfa6lion.  This  1  obferve  in  this  place  in  general, 
as  it  is  not  my  defign  to  relate  the  particulars  ei* 
ther  of  their  reception  in,  or  their  expulfion  from, 
foreign  countries. 

The  Jefuits  did  not  fucceed  in  their  endeavour^ 
to  eflablilh  themfelves  in  England  on  theacceflion 
of  queen  Mary;  their  exorbitant  demand  of  the 
revenues  of  all  the  fuppreffed  monafteries  being  re- 
je6led  with  indignation  by  cardmal  Pole,  and  the 
hifhops ;  from  whofe  jurifdi6lion  they  were  to  have 
been  exempt.  They  alfo  failed  with  refpefl  to 
Flanders,  the  council  rpjefllng  all  their  pvopofals, 
tho' favoured  by  Philip  II,  on  account  of  the  dif- 
turbances  which  they  had  occafioned  in  other 
countries. 

On  the  acceffion  of  Paul  IV,  the  founder  of 
the  Theatins,  the  Jefuits  were  much  alarmed;  as 
having  given  him  offence  by  their  not  entering 
into  his  order.  But  finding  how  ufeful  they  were 
to  the  advancement  of  the  papal  power,  he  was 
reconciled  to  them,  and  only  prevailed  upon  them 
to  change  one  of  their  conflitutions,  which  forbad 
their  celebration  of  divine  fervice  ;  and  after  fome 
time  mafs  and  vefpres  were  performed  every  Sun- 
day, and  on  all  holy  days,  at  their  houfe  in  Rome. 

In 


Sec.  XIX.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     ATT 

In  A.  D.  1556  Ignatius,  exhaufted  by  his  la- 
bours, died  at  the  age  of  fixty  five,  when  he  had 
the  fatisfadion  to  fee  his  fociety  eftabhfhed  in  mod 
parts  ot  the  world.  They  then  had  an  hundred 
colleges,  without  reckoning  the  noviciates,  the  pro- 
fefled  houfes,  and  mifTions,  which  in  all  compofed 
thirteen  provinces,  adminiftered  and  filled  by  more 
than  a  million  of  Jefuits.  Ibid,  p.  197.  After 
much  cabal  and  difputation  he  was  fucceeded  by 
Lainez,  a  man  much  fuperior  to  himfelf  in  every 

refpeft. 

Under  him  leave  was  given  to  fludy,    and   to 

give  le£lures  from  other  theological  works  befides 
thofe  of  Thomas  Aquinas,  which  the  hiftorian 
fays  opened  a  door  to  new  opinions,  and  all  the 
Icandalous  exceffes  which  the  Jefuits  introduced 
into  morality.  Ibid,  p.  231.  Pius  IV  fhewed 
them  more  favour  than  his  predeccffor,  granting 
them  a  confirmation  and  extenfion  of  their  privi- 
leges, with  refpe6l  both  to  their  univerfities,  and 
their  exemption  from  foreign  jurisdiSion, 


SECTION 


478  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXII. 


SECTION    XX. 


Of  ike  Waldevfes  in  this  Period, 


HE  antient  Waldenfes  were  far  from 
being  fuEPered  to  pafs  unnoiiced  in  this  period, 
notwithfianding  the  rife  of  new  and  more  inteiefl- 
ing  objeds  of  attention.      Having  fufFered    much 

'.  in     various  and    long    continued    perfecutions,     in 

confcquence  of  which  their  learned  padors  had 
been  difperfed,  and  much  ignorance  had  prevailed 
among  them,  they  had  been  generally  induced  to 
attend  mafs,  and  to  have  their  children  baptized 
hy  the  popifh  pricfls.  But  in  a.  d.  1530.  hearing 
of  the  progrefs  of  the  reformation  in  Switzerland 
and  Germany,  they  fent  two  of  their  miniflers,  G. 
Morel  and  P.Maflbn  to  BaGl  to  confer  with  CEco- 
lampadiu  *,  others  to  Strafburg  to  confer  with  Bu- 
cer  and  Capito,  and  two  to  Farel  at  Newchaflel. 
To  QLcolampadius  they  prefented  a  large  writing 
in  latin,  containing  an  account  of  their  church 
dilcipK*?e  and  do6trine,     RucJiat,  Vol.   3,  p.  253- 

in 


SiLC.  XX.       THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     479 

in  which  their  opinions  on  the  fubje£l  of  grace  and 
predeflination  appeared  to  be  unfavourable  to  what 
had  been  advanced  by  Luther,  at  which  they  feem 
to  have  been  fomewhat  diflurbed.  They  thought 
that  it  was  in  the  power  of  man  to  do  the  will  of 
God,  that  he  willed  all  men  to  be  uved,  and  that 
no  man  periflied  but  through  his  own  fault.  (Xco- 
lampadius  blamed  ihem  for  yielding  lb  far  as  they 
had  done  to  avoid  perfecution,  but  on  the  fubjc£l 
of  grace  and  predeftination  he  feemed  to  agree 
with  them  ;  faying,  that  men's  deflruftion  came  of 
themfelves,  and  falvation  from  God  only.  Ibid^ 
p.  269. 

On  the  return  of  the  deputies  from  their  mif- 
fion  they  fuffered  greatly.  P.  M-ilTon  was  impri- 
foned  at  Dijon.  Mr.  Gonin  who  was  lent  to 
Farel  was  arrefted  at  Grenoble  and  thrown  into 
the  river  in  a  fack,  but  the  reft  arrived  fafe  at  Me- 
rindol,  where  they  gave  an  account  ol  their  million; 
and  a  fynod  was  called  for  the  year  followina^  at 
which  fome  foreign  miiiifters  were  requefled  to 
attend. 

In  A.  D.  1534,  Charles  duke  of  Savoy  was  fo 
much  importuned  by  the  archbifhop  and  inquifitor 
of  Turin,  to  perfecute  the  Waldenfes,  who  were 
then  very  numerous,  that  he  fent  about  five  hun- 
dred ot  his  troops  againft  them,  and  they  plunder- 
ed and  deftroyed  all  that  came  in  their  way.     But 

thefe 


480  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

thefe  poor  people  when  they  were  recovered  from 
the  panic  with  which  they  were  firft  feized,  return- 
ed upon  their  enemies,  and  repulfed  them  with 
great  flaughter.  After  this  ambufhes  were  laid 
for  fmall  parties  of  them,  and  many  were  cut  off  in 
this  way  •  but  this  was  far  from  extirpating  them. 
G.  Morel  in  his  memoirs,  written  a  little  before 
this  time,  fays  then  there  were  about  eight  hun- 
dred thoufand  perfons  who  profefled  this  reli- 
gion. 

In  A.  D.  1536  Francis  I  having  conquered 
Piedmont,  Paul  III  perfuaded  him  to  proceed  a- 
gainft  the  Waldenfes,  and  many  of  them  were  ap- 
prehended and  executed  in  confequence  of  his  or- 
ders for  that  purpnfe. 

In  A.  D.  1545,  fome  troops  under  the  com- 
mand of  D'Oppeda  were  fent  againft  them,  and 
they  fet  fire  to  feveral  villages,  when  the  poor  inha- 
bitants were  flain  without  refiftance,  and  every  kind 
of  enormity  to  which  foldiersare  accuflomed,  were 
committed.  At  the  fame  time  all  perfons  were 
forbidden  under  pain  of  death  to  give  them  any 
food  or  fuccours.  At  Cabrieres,  where  they  offer- 
ed to  furrender  the  place,  and  leave  the  country, 
provided  they  might  be  permitted  to  do  it  unmo- 
kfted,  this  general  taking  polIeiTion  of  it,  put  to 
death  all  the  men,  and  fhutting  up  the  women  in 
a  barn  lull  of  ftraw,   fet   fire   to  it,  and   deliroyed 

them 


Sec.  XX.      THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.      481 

them  all.  More  than  four  thoufand  perfons  were 
flaughtered  on  this  occafion,  and  twelve  towns  and 
villages  reduced  to  afhes. 

The  king  was  exceedingly  oflPended  at  this  cru- 
elty ;  but  when,  in  the  next  reign,  an  inquiry  was 
inftituted,  in  order  to  bring  the  criminals  to  juf- 
tice,  DOppeda  efcaped  punifhment  by  the  mte- 
reft  of  the  duke  of  Guile.  However,  in  a.  d.  1552 
Guerin,  an  advocate,  who  iffued  the  commilhon, 
and  had  been  peculiarly  a6live  in  promoting  the 
perfecution,  was  beheaded,  and  Toon  after  D'Op- 
peda  himfelf  died,  as  is  related  by  Thuanus,  of  a 
dreadful  difeafe  in  his  bowels,  receiving,  as  he  fays, 
from  God  the  puniQiment  from  which  his  judges 
had  laved  them. 

In  A.  D.  1559  Philibert  Emanuel,  being  re- 
ftored  to  his  ellates,  was  perfuaded  to  attempt  the 
redu6Vion  of  thefe  poor  people,  and  their  mofl 
carneft  entreaties  had  no  effe6t  to  divert  him  Irom 
his  purpofe ;  but  the  troops  fent  againft  them 
were  defeated,  and  at  length  in  a.  d.  1561,  at  the 
interceffion  of  the  dutchefs,  who  was  iuppofed  to 
favour  their  doftvines,  he  entered  into  a  treaty 
with  them,  by  which  they  were  allowed  the  exer- 
cife  of  their  religion.     Morcland,  p.  238. 

Vol.  V.  Hh  SECTION 


4S2  THE  HISTORY  OF      Per.  XXII 

SECTION  XXI. 

Oj  the  Bohemian  Brethren,, 

X  HE  Bohemian  Brethren  had  feveral 
conferrences  with  Luther,  as  has  been  obferved 
in  his  hiftory,  and  tho'  at  one  time  he  had  con- 
ceived a  great  prejudice  againft  ihem,  he  was  alter- 
wards  reconciled  to  them,  and  did  not  difacprove 
their  church  difcipline.  He  always  lament*  d  the 
want  of  it  in  his  own  churches,  but  had  not  fixed 
on  any  plan.  At  their  laft  conferrence  in  a.  d. 
1549,  he  feems  to  have  thought  it  befi  that  the 
two  churches  ihould  preferve  their  peculiar  difci- 
pline in  brotherly  love,  ufin.j  thefe  v»ords,  "  Be  ye 
**  apoflles  of  the  Bohemians,  I  and  mme  will  be 
•'  apoftles  of  the  Germans.''  He  alfo  wrote  to 
John  Augufla,  one  ot  their  deputies  to  him,  fay- 
ing, "  I  exhort  you  in  the  Lord  to  perfevere  with 
*'  us  unto  the  end  in  the  fellow fhip  of  the  fpirit, 
"  and  of  doftnne."     Crantz. 

The  Bohemian  Brethren  had  alfo  in  this  peri- 
od fome  intercourfe  with  the  Waldenfes,  who  fent 
a  deputation  to  them  to  renew  their  fellow  (hip  with 
them,  and  alfo  with  the  reformed  at  Strafburgh, 
where  Bucer  was  fo  much  pleafed  with  them,  that 

he 


Sec.  XXI.     THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     483 

he  wrote  to  them  as  follows,  "  I  believe  you  are 
*'  the  only  people  at  this  clay  who,  together  with  a 
"  pure  dotlrine,  exercife  a  genuine  and  weil  a- 
*'  dapfed  difciplinc,  which  is  not  grievous  but  pro- 
"  Stable."  Ibid,  p.  45.  Calvin  alio  kept  up  a 
conftant  corrcfpandencc  with  them,  and  is  (aid  to 
have  introduced  fome  part  of  their  difciplinc  into 
the  church  of  Geneva. 

Not  being  wilHng  to  fapport  the  cmpcior 
Charles  V  againfi;  the  Proteflants,  thefe  Brethren 
were  expofed  to  a  grievous  perfecution.  John 
Auguftaand  others  were  put  inprifon,  and  other- 
wife  cruelly  ufed,  and  he  was  not  releaftd  till  the 
death  of  Ferdinand,  ^lx^een  years  after.  Being 
ordere<l  to  join  either  the  Catho'ics  or  the  Calix- 
tins,  many  of 'he  brethren,  under  the  condu6i  of 
their  bifhop  Matthias  Lyon,  went  into  Poland; 
and  being  driven  thence  they  went  to  PrulTia,  where 
duke  Albert,  having  had  their  do6lrine  and  difci- 
pline  examined,  granted  them,  by  a  diploma  dated 
March  igth,  a.  d.  1549,  the  fame  civil  privileges 
with  his  other  fubjeds.  Mofl  of  them  fettled  at 
Marianworder. 

Thefe  Bohemian  brethren  conRantly  refufed  to 
take  any  part  in  the  controverfy  between  the  Lu- 
therans and  the  reformed  in  Switzerland  about  the 
euchanft,  contenting  themfelves  with  the  ufe  of 
Icripture  expreffions  on  the  fubjeft,  and  in  a.  d. 


484  THE  HISTORY  OF  Per.  XXH. 

1560  thofe  who  were  of  this  branch  of  the  reform- 
ed in  Poland  united  with  them  at  the  fynod  of 
Xians.  when  the  difcipline  of  the  brethren  was  ac- 
cepted bv  a  majority  of  votes,  with  fome  aherati- 
on  refpefting  the  divifion  of  the  churches  into  dif- 
tri6ls.  and  the  appointment  of  an  ecclefiaflical  and 
civil  fenior  over  each  diflrifl ;  the  bufinefs  of  the 
latter  being  to  attend  to  the  outward  concerns  of 
the  church,  and  all  the  provincial  fynods,  which 
were  to  be  held  every  )  ear  to  hear  differences  and 
adjufl  them.  lb.  p.  55  This  union  of  the  bre- 
thren with  the  Swifs  made  them  furpe61ed  by  the 
Lutherans,  who  in  many  places  were  never  wholly 
reconciled  to  them,  and  frequently  did  them  ill 
offices,  notwithftanding  the  friendfliip  whlch  had 
been  fbewn  them  by  Luther. 


SECTION   XXII. 

Mifcellaiucus  ^Sticles. 


'  X3Y  this  time  the  learned  Cathohcs 
began  to  be  fenfible  of  the  advantage  which  the 
Proteflants  aerived  from  their  flcill  in  the  lan- 
guages in  which  the  fcriptures  were  written,  being 
able  to  quote  the  original  inflead  of  tranflations  ; 
but  they  took  a  very  abfurd  and  impolitic  method 

tQ 


Sec.  XXir.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.     4?:5 

to  deprive  them  of  it.  The  faculty  of  theology  at 
Paris,  which  had  been  diflinouiflied  for  the  abilitj'," 
learning,  and  even  the  liberality,  oi  its  menib<^rs, 
in  all  the  dark  ages,  now  afted  a  part  very  unwor- 
thy of  them.  For,  dreading  the  very  fhadow  of 
herefy,  they  cenfured  every  thing  that  feemed  to 
lead  to  it,  and  in  a.  d.  1530  they  paOed  a  cenfure 
on  the  two  following  propofuions,  viz.  i.  "  The 
*'  Holy  Scriptures  cannot  be  well  undcrftood  wiih- 
*'  out  a  knowledge  of  the  Greek,  Hebrew,  and  o- 
*'  ther  languages.  2.  A  preacher  cannot  truly  ex- 
•'  plam  the  gofpels  and  epiflles  without  a  kiiow- 
*'  ledge  of  thofe  languages." 

In  the  lame  year  they  ordered  the  profelTors  of 

Greek  and  Hebrew  m  theRoyal  College  founded  by 

Francis  I, viz.  P.  Danez,  Fr.  Vatablus,  P.  Paradis, 
and  A.  Gierdacier,  to  appear  before  the  parlia- 
ment, and  procured  them  to  be  forbidden  to  ex- 
plain the  fcriptures  according  to  the  Greek  and 
Hebrew,  without  the  penuillion  of  the  univerlity. 
It  was,  however,  acknowledged,  that  the  lludy  of 
thofe  languages  was  commendable  in  thofe  divines 
who  were  not  fufpefled  of  the  errors  of  Luther,  and 
who  were  always  ddpofed  to  maimain  inviolate 
the  authority  of  the  Vulgate  tranflation.  Coni, 
Fleiiry.  Vol.  27,  p.  224.  So  much  ufe  was  made 
of  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  by  the  Proceftant  di- 
vines, that  the  bare  knowledge  of  thofe  languages 
H  h  2  was 


486  THE  HISTORY  OF         Per.  XXII. 

was  fufficient  to  render  a  man  fulpcfted  of  herefy. 
The  magiftrates  of  Lucerne  findin,^  in  a.  d.  1523 
fome  Greek  books  in  the  poflTclTion  of  Colhnus, 
then  ac^non  of  Mnnftcrin  Aruavv,  but  afterwards 
proff  ITor  of  Greek  at  Zurich,  faid,  "  This  man  is 
*'  a  Lutheran.  Every  thing  Greek  is  heretical." 
Ruchat  Prelivi.  Disc,  p  9. 

In  this  period  the  Florentine  academy  was 
edablifhed  by  the  celebrated  Lorenzo  de  Medicis 
for  the  cultivation  of  the  Platonic  phiiofophy  with 
great  cred!t.  It  was  tiie  lirll.  inditution  in  Europe 
for  the  purfuit  of  fcicnce  detached  from  the  fcho- 
laftic  method  then  univerfally  adopted.  The  doc- 
trines ot  Plato  were  as  remote  from  the  purpofes  of 
common  life,  and  general  utility,  as  thnfe  of  Arif- 
totle  ;  but  their  introduflion  was  of  elTential  fer- 
vice  to  the  caufe  of  free  enquiry  and  fubllantial 
knowledge.  By  dividing  the  attention  of  the  learn- 
ed 'hey  deprived  the  dodrines  of  Anfloile  of  that 
fervile  refpeti  and  veneration  which  had  been  fo 
long  paid  to  them,  and  by  introducing  the  difcuf- 
fion  of  new  fubjcds,  they  prepared  the  way  for  the 
purfuit  ol  truths  -.i'ore  within  the  fphere  of  the  hu- 
man inteMc^l.     Rofcoc's  Life  of  Lorenzo,^.  o^Q. 

2.  The  Catholics  were  more  united  among 
themfelvcs  in  confequenceot  having  a  common 
and  formidable  enemy  to  oppoie.  This  put  a 
ftoptj  many  difpuies  which  otherwife  might  have 
cccafioned  dangerous  divilions.  Before 


Sec.  XXII.    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.    4B7 

'  Before  the  reformation  there  were  ten  or  twelve 
different  opinions  about  the  qucn;ion  "  in  what 
*'  manner  the  body  ol  Chrifl:  is  prcfent  in  the  eu- 
"  chari{l,"and  anunofities  could  not  h.ivc  been  car- 
ried farther  than  they  were  by  thofevvh.  maintained 
them  ;  but  after  the  reformation  thefe  differences 
fubfided,  and  all  united  againfl;  the  common  ene- 
my.    Laval,  Vol.  4,  p.  372. 

3.  Clement  Marot,  a  valet  to  Francis  I  of 
France,  turned  the  firfl  fifty  pfalms  of  David  into 
metre,  and  to  ling  them  became  fafhionablc  at  the 
court.  The  reft  were  tranllated  in  a  fimilar  man- 
ner by  Beza,  and  they  were  adopted  by  the  French 
Proteftants.     Williams,  p.  50. 

Oratories  had  their  origin  in  the  time  of  Philip 
Neri,  who  in  a.  d.  1540  founded  the  priefis  of  the 
oratory  in  Rome.  To  draw  a  congregation,  he 
had  hymns  and  pfalms  performed,  fometimes  by 
one  voice,  and  fometimes  in  chorus.  Afterwards 
he  had  fomefacred  ftory  verfilied  and  fetto  mufic; 
and  he  engaged  the  bett  performers  yocal  and  in- 
ftrumental.  From  the  place  of  their  exhibition 
they  had  their  name. 

The  firft  performance  of  this  kind  that  was 
certainly  fung  throughout  was  L'anima  tt  di  Corpo, 
in  which  the  principal  dramatic  perfons  were  time, 
pkajure,  the  body,  the  world,  and  human  life,  dreffed 

in 


45S  THE  HIS  TORY  OF        Per.XXH. 

in  chara^ler.  Dances  were  alfo  introduced.  This 
Drdma  exhibited  the  firfl  inftance  of  modern  reci- 
tative.    /^   P-  43- 

Luther  was  a  great  admirer  of  mufic,  and  is 
faid  to  be  the  author  of  fome  of  the  beft  melodies 
ufed  in  the  German  and  other  Proteflant  churches, 
particularly  that  of  the  hundredth  pfalm.  It  is  faid 
that  he  paraphrafed,and  fet  to  mufic  the  forty  fixth 
pfaJm  on  his  way  to  the  diet  at  Worms.  lb.  p.  49. 

4  There  are  fome  traces  of  unbelievers  in  this 
period,  tho'  not  many.  They  were  generally  call- 
ed Libertines,  but  they  naturally  complied  with 
the  time*!,  and  joined  the  prevailing  party.  The 
church  of  Rome,  it  is  laid,  abounded  with  fuch 
men,  and  they  were,  fays  Mr.  Brandt,  the  greatefl 
enemies  of  hofe  who  lutfered  martyrdom.  Bal- 
thazar, prior  of  the  Dominicans  at  Antwerp,  was 
faid  to  be  one  of  them,  p.  79;  and  Tapper,  the 
grand  inqaifitor  in  the  Low  Countries,  a  violent 
perfccutor,  was  fufpefted  to  be  an  atheift,  p.  90. 
Cilvin,Beza.  and  P.  Viret,  make  frequent  mention 
of  thefe  Libertines. 


The  end  of  Volume  the  third  of  the  Second  Party  or 
Volume  the  ffth  of  the  whole  Work. 


